Parenting Help - Going Inside the Mind of a Preteen Girl

People speak of all the pressures that a teen faces. The peer pressure they endure. What about preteen? There isn't very much attention on that preteen stage, otherwise known as tween. I have 2 "tween" girls in my home and I interviewed and talked with them to find out what goes through a preteen girls' mind. Are the pressures of life just as much as being that of a teen? Let's find out. Let's take a trip through the mind of a preteen girl....

I asked the girls' how much of a role that their friends play in helping them make decisions. They were very quick to answer that their friends have a lot of influence on what decisions that they make. At this age they want to please their friends and take what advice they get as fast as they can take it. Their friends' are part of the decisions they make from anything ranging from hairstyles to music to the way they wear their clothes. A bond between friends is a very special bond right now because they believe their world revolves around what their friends think. If the "tween" friends say jump, the next question would be how high. When looking for a friend, funny topped the charts in what to look for. Dressing nice, not in trouble all the time, and a good personality were listed next. Tweens are also big on trust. They said if you can't trust your friend then they are not your friend.

When asked about peer pressure that they face at these young formative years, the biggest one was to fit into the day to day lifestyle of what everyone is wearing, how they are fixing their hair, but most of all is the gossip. They feel they have to gossip to fit in. If they aren't talking about someone, they are not fitting in. They say they haven't felt the peer pressure of the drugs or alcohol yet. When asked how they would react to that, they say they will draw the line and take a stand.

All girls like to have fun. What is the "in" thing for fun? The most rated one was phone talking. I really stress the phone talking. I actually think I have seen it stuck to their ears. They enjoy just hanging out with their friends. Even if they are doing absolutely nothing. As long as they are in the presence of their friends, all is well. Family is kind of rated under the friends at this point in time. It is not just girls they like to hang out with. The boy issue has arisen. They enjoy hanging out with boys also. Sometimes they say a boy is just a really cool friend.

All people have worries. Their most worried thing they worry about is appearance. They feel like they have to look a certain way to fit in. Being liked by other people is a must for them. They worry if they don't dress like others they will be made fun of or bullied. Self consciousness is really starting to kick in as their bodies are starting to change. Breast size was a factor when it came to being self conscious. Weight was another factor. You can't be too heavy or you can't be too thin. There is a "perfect medium" for this. They believe they have to have certain hairstyles. They are very afraid to try something new.

The clothing line and styles are actually pretty broad. They like their shorts and pants tight, tanks tops and short sleeve shirts, capris and styling that with their flip flops. Flip flops have seemed to become a year round shoe instead of just summer time.
Along with all this "tween" stuff comes the very first menstrual cycle. This one was pretty humorous when asked about. I asked about first thoughts when Mother Nature called for the first time. One said I thought I was actually going to die. Even though this had been explained, there was still some screaming and freaking out. The questions started to come. What's wrong with me? How long will it last. They have a new phrase now for this. Kind of a code for girls. Did Tom come to your house? (Time Of Month).

Some of the slang and language that is popular among our darling "tweens" is what's up, shut up, I got it from my momma, and Ewwwwwwww. Then you have the He's Hawt, That's Hawt, and the mean comment, he's ugly.

Some of the hippest singers are Rhiana, Fergie, Tayler Swift, Nickleback, Soilja Boy, Avrillavange, and Cassie. The on top TV shows are Hannah Montana, Hogan Knows Best, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader-Making the team, Degrassi-Next Generation, TRL, I Wanna Be A High School Cheerleader Again ,Cribs, Pimp My Ride and NEXT.

All in all our "Tweens" don't seem that bad. Things change from day to day. These were just their answers when being interviewed. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Whatever it is though, I am sure the friends will have to approve, they will then gossip about the ones who don't do it, and then get up 2 hours early to have their hair and clothing style perfect. This is what it is like going in the mind of a preteen girl. I hope you enjoyed. If you have a preteen girl, or one that is about to become one, buckle your seatbelt, sit back and enjoy the ride because it won't be long and I'll have to do another interview on Going inside the mind of a teenage girl and I am sure it will be more complex.