Time passes in the blink of an eye. Surely it was only yesterday when that warm, mewing bundle was placed in your arms, eyes fixing on yours with all the intensity and knowing of an old soul who has lived many times before, yet in a tiny body, so fragile and new. Through sleepless nights and weary days, you came to know each other. Your world and your priorities shifted, and you slowly assumed a new identity that centred upon your child. A child who orbited you like a satellite, with you the safety of a home planet and the constant pull of gravity keeping you tied as one. Their dependence on you sometimes felt so very heavy, so all- consuming, and there were days (and many nights) when you reminisced and wished for your carefree past.

Of course, the above tips have focused solely on helping your tween to cope with the transition to a new school, but it’s import- ant not to forget what a big experience it is for you, too. Try to attend any new parents’ information evenings and take advantage of offers to chat with form tutors before, or soon after, your tween starts school. Most schools will run a parents’ evening towards the end of the first term, which will give you an opportunity to meet your tween’s teachers and hear about how they are settling in. I think one of the hardest things about being a parent or carer to a tween at secondary school is having far less involvement with school than you had previously. It feels strange not knowing their teachers well or what room they will be in at any given time. You do get used to the change, but it can often take parents longer than tweens to feel at peace with the transition. So much has been written about toddlers and teenagers that I was under the impression that these middle years were the smooth bit. As a parent of a ten year old I am now very aware that there is already a lot going on and I feel like two different people inhabit his body sometimes. The child I had, and the teen he is preparing to grow into. This is the first book I have seen that covers this 'between' stage and I like Sarah Okwell-Smith's approach to parenting so I was excited to see if it would help me navigate these pre teen changes. I don't tend to read parenting books often but I am happy to accept any help to equip me through these challenges, especially knowing I have another four children to guide through this stage. The following are some of the most common anxieties tweens experience before the move to a new school, according to research: Gentle discipline calls for parents to work with their children to resolve problems that underlie their difficult behaviour, rather than acting punishing out on them.

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Sarah specialises in ‘gentle parenting’ (she is often credited as being the founder of the movement) and childism (the unconscious discrimination of children in society). She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Children have a right to grow up free from violence – without fear of being hit and hurt by those that are meant to care for and nurture them. Full of practical parenting advice that will give you the tools to guide your child through this time' Daily Express He’s in full support of the law change, ‘because a child’s right to protection from physical assault (a legal protection adults enjoy) matters more than a parent’s right to assault their child.’

Vairāk par visu bērniem ir vajadzīga mūsu beznosacījuma mīlestība – vienalga, vai viņi gūst panākumus vai pieļauj kļūdas, kad dzīve ir viegla un kad dzīve ir grūta. Try to focus on the positives. Ask your tween what they are most looking forward to about starting their new school. Speak about the new opportunities they will have and the activities they love. You could also find out what lunchtime and after-school clubs will be running and share the list with your tween, to build excitement.Full of practical parenting advice that will give you the tools to guide your child through this time’ Daily Express

I found the chapter on raising a financially literate tween one of the most interesting and am already putting ideas I read into place to open these conversations and teach money management. There is a lot of food for thought as well as practical tips on how to prepare our tweens for real life. Do a couple of practice runs of their school journey, especially if your tween will be using public transport or walking. Watch Sarah chatting about the contents of her new book ‘Because I Said So’ on Good Morning Britain below: Between also offers advice on coping with your own feelings as your child moves through this busy developmental period, and how to let go and give them wings to fly. The tween years can be a difficult period for parent and child alike, but your openness and support is key to building the relationship that you will have with your child for the rest of their life. Between is the handbook that will guide you across the bridge from childhood into adolescence, together with your child.Chapter 13 is the final chapter, which is no coincidence. It feels right to leave you at the age when your child becomes a true teenager – the official end of the tween years. Parting is the theme of this chapter: how to let go and give your child wings to fly (especially when you feel like holding on tight) is something many struggle with. How much independence is too much, or too little? And how do you cope with your own feelings as your child reaches towards looming adulthood. Although this book is about your tween, it is also about you as a parent, and it feels fitting to end with a chapter that concerns you as much as your child. After all, you will always be standing at one end of that bridge, watching with pride as your child continues their journey through the in between, but ready and waiting with open arms should they need to return to you again. It explores key issues, including: why tweens can be moody, rude, lazy, and impulsive—and how to cope with their behavior; what happens during puberty—and when and how to talk to your tween about it; how to navigate friendships and romantic relationships in the tween years; how to encourage good mental health and body image; managing screen time and avoiding common pitfalls; and supporting the transition to secondary school. We were still children, for all that we thought we weren’t. We were in that in- between place, the twilight between childish things and grown- up things.’ Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook , Christina Henry Do let your tween’s form tutor and whoever is responsible for student wellbeing know if they are feeling very anxious before starting. Often, schools have special settling-in procedures for tweens who they think will struggle. She notes: ‘If they aren’t old enough to understand logic, how are they going to understand the logic between you hitting them, and their behaviour?’