Is your 10- to 14- year-old getting an attitude, rolling their eyes, or slamming doors? Here are painless solutions to surviving the prickly tween years. The middle school years can be a minefield for you and your kids. This hands-on communication guide by a qualified "tween negotiator" shows you exactly how to talk to your kids about peer pressure, raging hormones, mood swings, body image, computer "addiction," sibling rivalry, and other prickly issues. The author's field-tested techniques help you shift from a "controlling" to a "relationship" approach--proving that it is possible to hug a porcupine, once you know how.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. "You never listen to me anymore. I hate my life!" Middle Schoolers: Hormonal, Disorganized, and Defiant 2. "You have no idea how much stress I'm under!" The Overwhelmed "Slacker" 3. "OKAY I get it! I'm not a baby anymore." How To Break The Nagging Cycle And Turn Responsibility Over To Your Middle Schooler 4. "But everyone in my grade is doing it!" Peer pressure and Changing Values 5. "I'm going in my room and I'm never coming out!!" Dealing with Defiance 6. "Just let me finish this 'level', ok?" The Computer "Addiction" 7. "I can't do it. I want you to help me!" Encouraging Self-Esteem and Independence 8. "I'm going out: see ya later!" The Push for Independence 9. "Why are we talking about this? I mean really, I just ate!" Talking about Sex, Drugs and Alcohol 10. "I hate her. She's the worst sister in the whole world!" Sibling Rivalry: A New Level of Competition 11. "I'm so lucky that you're my mom." How a relationship approach affects life after Middle School References Index

About the Author

Julie A. Ross, M.A., is the author of Joint Custody with a Jerk and executive director of Parenting Horizons, an organization that offers regular workshops for parents and teachers as well as private counseling. She has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "Today," "The Montel Williams Show," and others.