Teen and Tween Round-up: 5 signs you have a pre-teen

Happy new year! We’ve got a small, but perfectly formed round-up for you this month, after many bloggers took a break over Christmas and new year.

So here’s what our teen and tween parent bloggers have been writing about this month…

Are you lucky enough to be the parent of a boy? If so, you’ll either recognise this lovely post from Sticky Fingers – or it will be something for you to look forward to – five signs you have a pre-teen boy in the house. As a mum of one pre-teen boy and one recent teenage boy I can safely say she’s got it bang on. Especially about the mud. Sigh.

‘Can I get Snapchat? Everyone’s got it,’ said my 11 year old son the other day. My 11 year old son who is still at primary school. So I said no and pointed out that his brother wasn’t allowed Facebook until he was 13. It wasn’t so easy for Suzanne from 3 Children and It to say no to her 14 year old daughter. As a teenager, she should be free to take her own decisions, with the support of her parents. So I’m grateful to Suzanne for sharing her sensible rules for Snapchat and social media – it’s well worth checking it out!

I love this post from Zena’s Suitcase – an open letter to her son on his 17th birthday. I think we would all be very proud to have a son like that. I’m particularly impressed with his commitment to his exams.

Because at the moment my own son is coasting. He’s (mistakenly) decided he’s not bright and I fear it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Does anyone else have a teenager like this? I’d love your thoughts on how to motivate them.

Best Dad I Can Be has just passed another parenting milestone – getting drunk with his son for the first time – and attempting to strain an old bottle of port through a handkerchief. This post will definitely put a smile on your face.

As a parent to a teenager, being insulted by your offspring is pretty much par for the course, but it hit Best Dad I Can Be hard when his son pointed out to him that he didn’t understand football. Don’t quote me, but I’m sure an understanding of football is actually written into the job description for dads?

I thought we’d bid a fond goodbye to Izzie Anderton on the round-up, as her twin daughters are now 20, but I couldn’t resist this post. Now her kids are largely off her hands, Izzie is enjoying her freedom and celebrating growing old disgracefully. I’m pretty sure this is exactly how I will be in a few years!

That’s about all for this month, but if you’ve got a post about teens or tweens to share, please add it to the link below.