Tweens: What is a Tween?

Betwixt and Between Child and Teen!

What's a tween? Tween is a buzzword that refers to children who are between childhood and teen years; typically ages 9 or 10 to 12. In first world countries, especially in the US, children are reaching puberty at an earlier age. Menarche, or the onset of puberty and menstrual cycles in girls, has been steadily dropping. Overall, girls begin their periods at a younger age. Earlier puberty ages in boys and girls can be attributed to growth hormones in baby formula, dairy products and meat. Children are growing bigger and faster

Earlier puberty has created a developmental stage in which children face pubescent issues at a younger age. Developmental psychologists have had to redefine cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioral patterns to include the tween years. Tweens are in a unique place developmentally. Tweens utilize complicated digital tools fluently. They can easily access the massive juggernaut of the Internet. The irony of the tween, is that this same child may still wet the bed, experience night frights, fear of strangers, and thumb-sucking. In a sense they are children in a developing adult body.

Early puberty has generated a push-down effect. Social and cultural patterns reflect earlier move from childhood to adulthood. Dress and entertainment are offer older trends to younger children. Consider 'High School Musical' and Hannah Montana; tweens are the target audience for these movies. Whether by choice or social custom, tweens are exposed to the interests, styles, hobbies, entertainment and play or older teens. Even education is pushing down curriculum on increasingly younger children. Sixth graders now attend middle school. Some districts include fifth grade their middle school. Fifth graders have 'graduation ceremonies'.

As parents and teachers, we need to be mindful of the phenomenon of the tween. Some adults don't accept tween thinking. They don't want to recognize what is a very normal developmental process, given the society we live in. We want to keep them young. Some other parents push tweens into older teen ideas before they are ready.