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Us Weekly, In Touch, Star Magazine, National Enquirer, Life & Style, You Tube, Perez Hilton, Pink is the New Blog... Seen any of these lately? Your tween probably has too. They are everywhere and so is tabloid culture. In American society, celebrity is intriguing, especially to young impressionable girls and boys who are just starting to become influenced by sources outside of the family. What should parents do with the information that their tweens are being exposed to? Is it their worst enemy? Should parents try to shelter their tweens from the stories of DUIs, teen pregnancies, rehab and under-age alcohol that is so prevalent in the media? NO! Use them as an opportunity to teach your children about life. If you don't, someone else will! Tips for Parents: - Limit your tweens exposure to tabloids, internet gossip sites and places like You Tube and My Space. You can't and shouldn't shelter your child from the reality of their culture, but you can keep a home that is tabloid free.
- Have the BIG talks now. Discuss sex, drugs, alcohol and other hot topics when your child is a tween. You don't have to go into graffic detail about everything, but you should share your own values with your children and let them ask questions (without judging).
- Know the three W's: Who your children are with, What they are doing and Where they are at all times. Parents who are involved have children who are less likely to make poor decisions and get into trouble later on.
- Communicate with your children, praise them often and support them. The more you follow these actions, the stronger your child's self esteem will be and the greater the likelihood that they will make the right choices in the future.
This is another opportunity for role-modeling for parents. Keep your child
safe by helping to direct them through the confusing reality of
tabloids and mature issues that they cannot hide from. Tabloids are a fact of society. Kids see the magazines in the grocery store and the nightly news with the latest scandals. Use these events as discussion topics and encourage your children to ask questions and explore the issues with you. Having open, honest and non-judgemental conversatins about these topics will increase the likelihood that your children will come to you when they have a problem of their own, especially if they know you will support them. If you are having trouble discussing these topics with your child and you feel there is a problem, you should always seek the help of a professional therapist or school counselor.
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Communication 
