One of my favorite people in the whole world & dearest friends (hi, Heather!) and her husband adopted a 10 year old this past June. K is now 11 and one of the fiercest, fashionable kids around.

I don’t know many (any?) tweens, but  Heather and I talk daily online, so I get a glimpse into life with one.

And I’m scared.

Every parent knows about the big things to be worried about- drugs, sex, bullying. But I never thought about the little things. Like can you trust your kids to purchase a healthy lunch at school instead of gorging on pizza and ice cream? What about punishment- how do you punish your tween? And how do you reward them for good behavior? Where do you draw the line on clothing- sure it’s modest, but it isn’t weather appropriate or doesn’t fit or match.  When does your kid get a cell phone?

Give me temper tantrums & pre-school politics any day!