Between the birds and the bees, puberty, the unfortunate but inevitable introduction to drugs and alcohol, and trying to fit in amidst all of the chaos, the last thing a tween needs is for their parents to make things even more awkward. These years are a good opportunity to start talking to your tweens, but not talking down to them about all of the facts of life they're being faced with — keep the lines of communication wide open and try to be their mom: the trustworthy and understanding confidant, rather than their mom: the woman they want to keep everything from. Being able to approach you with anything will make your relationship stronger and make it easier to parent, and it will also prevent situations where something huge is kept from you.
