Most parents will admit that the the toddler and teenage years can have their tricky moments. But we don't hear as much about the so-called 'tweens'. Episode Seven of Parentdish's Parenting... The Truth aims to put that to rights by inviting parents to open up about their experience with their 'big kids'.
The journey from childhood to adolescence can be just as fraught as the teenage years themselves, with one parent describing 'big kid' tantrums as 'worse than the terrible twos'. The move to 'big school' opens the door to the next stage of life for young people. Starting secondary school means new schedules, new friends and new freedoms, and it can take time for boundaries to settle.
As kids transform into hormonal hurricanes, it seems there are constant negotiations. When do you let them go out by themselves? When do you give in to the demands for a mobile phone? What do you do about pocket money?
For dads of tween girls, it can be an even more confusing time. One dad is bewildered by the fact that his daughter's room is plastered with One Direction posters, while another is frustrated by the long hairs that keep turning up on his dinner plate.
"The transition from child to young adult, it's a tricky one," says mum-of-two Kate Sutton. "I think my best advice would probably be to pick your battles."
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