The glory of your almost-teen.

by M. Ranard, M.Ed.
590 words

If you are a parent of a tween, you may be watching your child bid goodbye to a good measure of childhood wonder and innocence every day. You may even be feeling some grief about that. The adolescent and tween years can feel like unfamiliar territory for kids and adults alike. You both may experience growing pains and apprehension about the approaching teen years.

But there is plenty to celebrate in the “between years,” and not everything about the younger ones was rosy! So often as parents we quickly develop amnesia for the stuff from their early childhood that drove us absolutely nuts.

So the following lighthearted reminders may help to keep your thoughts optimistic about tweens.

1. Children in the double digit years do a significantly better job vacuuming. Not that a toddler can’t Swiffer like a bandit. Just sayin’.

2. Eleven-year-olds legally can’t drive. Hallelujah, they are not yet driving which means you can possibly sleep semi-peacefully at night for a few more years.

3. Cue the confetti—Go, Diego, Go has left the building! Sure there is a wealth of good children’s programming on the air, but there are also theme songs and quirky characters we won’t miss one little bit.

4. Tweens are generally better readers than preschoolers. What a relief you are not expected to read the literature they are assigned for English class (which is uber cool since Othello is not your idea of “downtime” after work).

5. They don’t grow out of their clothes every two weeks. Shelling out $20 for the band t-shirt they will wear for two years is an easier pill to swallow than the $20 onesie which fit them for less than a month.

6.  Physically, they are growing stronger and they know it. Glimpsing your tween’s joy and skill on the football/soccer/baseball field invigorates your soul.

7. Tweens still crave your affection. Which is why every once in awhile when they cross the room just to bend and give you a hug, your heart grows three sizes.

8. They are developing a killer sense of humor. So that hilarious youTube they showed you makes you laugh out loud and may even elevate your status to coolest cat in the office.

9. Traveling—especially in the air—is no longer an exercise in mental cruelty. Remember when the threat of an in-flight tantrum driving every passenger on board to the brink of insanity kept your anxiety sky high? Over. Plugged into an iPod or busy with Sudoku spells far less mortification.

10. The diaper bag has vanished. Sippy cups, diaper genies, and rectal thermometers are history.

11. Let's face it, you look more put together these days. Suddenly you and your spouse dress more fashionably as a matter of THEIR survival.

12. You have a bit more time. Your dream of seeing Europe, taking up golf, or reading the classics? It’s possibly within the realm of possibility now.

13. There are less wrestling matches at bathtime. And when they’re sick, they may no longer have to be straightjacketed to force grape-flavored medicine down the hatch.

14. Meaningful discussions mean personal growth. Watching an age-appropriate movie with them now provides an opportunity to discuss meaningful topics—a chance for both of you to grow and connect.

15. This may be your first chance to catch your breath and reflect on their childhood. Finally there are a few minutes to scrapbook (or print hard copies of digitally stored baby photos!), leading you to fall in love with your tween all over again.

The writer? A hopeless romantic. M. Ranard has a husband, two children, and a master’s in counseling. Visit her at hellolovelychild.blogspot.com and hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com.