Stay Connected With Your Tween

Grounded in evidence-based psychology, and co-written with clinical psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin, What's My Tween Thinking? is out this month and aims to help parents navigate the changes in development during their child’s ‘in between years’, from age eight to 12.

It's the third in the series of What's my Child Thinking books for DK Books, which have been translated into 35 languages and published in more than 40 countries. The earlier books cover teenagers and under eights.

Parenting expert Tanith’s new book about Tweens – her 14th book to be published – has already been featured in The Times and the The i-paper.  It explores how to create a supportive environment at home and what parents can do to help their tween manage whatever life throws at them.

“The pull towards independence and the start of puberty can bring unique challenges for you and your eight-to-12-year-old,” says Tanith.  “When your child is upset, rather than trying to ‘fix’ their feelings, why not say: 'I’m right here'; or 'That sounds tough'; or even 'I’m listening'. It’s important to stay connected with your tween and lay the groundwork for the teen years ahead.”

The book takes readers through 75 everyday scenarios, such as what to do when your tween says they hate you, to how to respond if they won't come off their video game, from friendship clashes to school concerns, and from body image to online safety.

In each of the real-world examples, it explores what you might be thinking, what your tween might be thinking, and how you might respond in the moment and in the long-term.

In addition to writing her books and journalism, Tanith is currently undertaking a Masters in Gestalt Psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute (a psychology training branch of the University of Middlesex).

She adds: “I will use it to inform my books and journalism on psychology and mental health. My next book focuses on babies, so it’s been brilliantly helpful with that already.”

What's my Tween Thinking? Practical Child Psychology for Modern Parents by Tanith Carey and Dr Angharad Rudkin is out now, priced £16.99 and is published by DK Books.

Tanith has unearthed a treasure trove of photos from her school days.  If you are logged into your Holles Connect account, you will be able to see the gallery of her photos, featuring the Class of 1984, below.