Why I love tweens
Tweens are kids between the ages of 9-13. I almost have three children in this age group.
Why do I like this age?
They aren't teenagers yet and desperate to get away from their parents and family. They aren't grumpy and moody all the time.
But they aren't toddlers and can do so much for themselves. They can get themselves dressed. They can get food for themselves. They can take themselves to the toilet. You don't have to watch what they're up to every 5 seconds. You can have a conversation with them about something that is real. They can pack their own bag to go away. They can make a salad when you're desperate for help at dinner time. You can laugh about things together. You can talk about things you're interested in together. They are funny and entertaining.
So when I went to a conference for work on tweens I was disappointed at how negative other children's librarians were about this age group. They'd like them to all be good at reading, quietly sitting in the corner minding their own business.
Instead the speaker told us that they like physical activity, socialising with their friends and food. None of which are particularly compatible with libraries!
I know that tweens are great but I think that some of the problems we have in the library with this age group are because some parents treat their tweens as teenagers - and they're not. They aren't that independent yet, and even though they like some freedom, they still need lots of active participation and interest by parents in their lives.
Why do I like this age?
They aren't teenagers yet and desperate to get away from their parents and family. They aren't grumpy and moody all the time.
So when I went to a conference for work on tweens I was disappointed at how negative other children's librarians were about this age group. They'd like them to all be good at reading, quietly sitting in the corner minding their own business.
Instead the speaker told us that they like physical activity, socialising with their friends and food. None of which are particularly compatible with libraries!
I know that tweens are great but I think that some of the problems we have in the library with this age group are because some parents treat their tweens as teenagers - and they're not. They aren't that independent yet, and even though they like some freedom, they still need lots of active participation and interest by parents in their lives.
Comments
How nice, school issues aside, to consider a slightly wider window of golden years. And you are right - it is an absolutely great time of life for kids and for the adults in their lives.
Great post!
Mx
I have heard other parents talk about this stage as being a "pre-hormonal golden age" of parenting, so I feel very excited to be almost into it! And then I remember that we still have a fair bit of hard work to do on the toddler preschool front to go....