Hannah Hammoud
Raising young children is no easy feat, but for educator, author and award-winning speaker Michelle Mitchell, raising ‘tweens’ can be particularly challenging.
Mitchell authored the book ‘Tweens’ published this year, where she describes the ages of nine through to 12 as the throes of the ‘between’ years, where kids are not quite a child but also not yet a teenager. She says these ‘tween’ years embody a very specific stage of development that once understood will revolutionise the way people parent, educate and support those in their care.
Sharing her wisdom, Mitchell is set to visit Taylors Hill’s Gilson College on October 10, to help guide parents through these turbulent years.
Mitchell’s book uses the results from her own survey of more than 2000 parents and tweens, along with interviews with experts whose insights are used to touch on the friendship issues, mood swings, confidence crises, technology habits, sibling rivalry, body image concerns and seemingly inexplicable behaviour of ‘tweens’.
Mitchell describes the ‘tween’ years as the most rapid period of development for children since toddlerhood.
“Right now, before the full pressures of high school hit, you have a window of opportunity that can change the trajectory of adolescence and beyond,” reads part of her bio for the book.
Gilson College wellbeing coordinator Andrea Farquharson said the ticketed event is open to the entire community in Melbourne’s west. She said the presentation will benefit anybody who is navigating the terrain of raising a ‘tween’.
“Tweens can be a tricky time as children are heading up towards those teenage years and are trying to work out who they are without their parents,” Ms Farquharson said.
“As they start to individuate though this time frame, we want to support them to do so in a healthy way. This presentation is all about equipping a trusted adult to be able to support children through these years.”
Tickets to the presentation event are $30 and will take place at Gilson College Taylors Hill on Tuesday, October 10 from 6pm.
Details: michellemitchell.org/parent-event-tweens-gilson-college-melbourne/
