Talking to tweenies : getting it right before it gets rocky with your 8-12 year old

They may look sweet and compliant, but these days children aged between 8 and 12 - 'tweenies' - are fast emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

Gaining in confidence, expecting more freedom, and increasingly targeted commercially, they are the crowned champions of pester power and present many challenging issues for parents.

This is an incredibly critical period for the parent-child relationship, but one which has often been ignored in favour of the baby or adolescent periods of child development.

Books dealing specifically with this testing time have been frustratingly lacking - until now.

Respected parenting expert and writer Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer has written a straight-talking book that is invaluable to all parents facing the tweenie stage.

This practical and down-to-earth guide combines the latest research with anecdotal experiences from children and parents, to give sound advice that is firmly rooted in the real world.

Clear and reassuring, it explains the underlying developmental changes occurring in children in this age group, how this can impact upon child behaviour and relationship dynamics - and how to deal with it. It tackles issues of real concern to all parents, comprehensively and in a helpful manner, including: peer pressure, education, fads, body image, money, discipline, siblings, sex, danger, and responsibility.