Parenting Preteens with a Purpose by Kate Thomsen

Parenting Preteens with a Purpose is a wonderful guide for parents of tweens or preteens. Thomsen hits on all the challenges and obstacles that come from raising tweens. This book is a great primer and first resource for troubleshooting the tween years, however additional resources would be needed to help address serious problems and challenges.

Hormones, impatience, growing minds and bodies. Living with a preteen or tween isn't for the faint of heart and that's what Kate Thomsen's book, Parenting Preteens with a Purpose, is all about.

Thomsen, an education consultant and author, has done her research on the transitional age group known as the preteen or tween years. Her book is a sympathetic guidebook for parents and addresses how to handle the more common issues that come with raising preteen children.

Thomsen highlights 40 developmental assets that preteens need in order to thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually. The assets are divided into eight categories including support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, values, identity, etc. Throughout the book, Thomsen relates how nearly every experience a tween encounters relates back to one of these categories as well as the assets parents need to provide in order to help their child.

All of the problems of modern childhood are addressed in this book including bullying, peer pressure, friendships, discipline, manners, self-esteem and others. Thomsen doesn't shy away from controversy either and addresses sexual activity, the choking game, internet dangers, tween gambling, and other modern threats to today's tweens.

Checklists help parents keep their thoughts together and provide guidance to relating with tweens. This is a great overall reference book for parents or caregivers of preteens.