12 Going on 29

Motivational speaker/mom Silvana Clark, in concert with her now-teenaged daughter Sondra, confirms in this book the confusion and possible unpleasantness tween girls and their moms around the world face in these sometimes-trying years. Through surveys and interviews with some 100 mother-daughter pairs, the Clarks show us what preteen girls are thinking and wanting, how mothers can successfully help their daughters navigate these years to avoid the potential minefields, and how they can successfully guide their daughters while keeping a respectful and loving relationship intact.The tween years—ages about 9 to 12—are a time when girls seem to grow astonishingly quickly toward establishing their independence and adult identity. It is a time of testing new feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and can be a time of testing mom's patience, persistence and energy. From cell phones to body piercings and hair dye, seductive clothes and strange boyfriends, girls want to test the waters and experience what the world has to offer. Motivational speaker/mom Silvana Clark, in concert with her now-teenaged daughter Sondra, confirms in this book the confusion and possible unpleasantness tween girls and their moms around the world face in these sometimes-trying years. Through surveys and interviews with some 100 mother-daughter pairs, the Clarks show us what preteen girls are thinking and wanting, how mothers can successfully help their daughters navigate these years to avoid the potential minefields, and how they can successfully guide their daughters while keeping a respectful and loving relationship intact.What's a mother to do during these tough years? The good part is that (although they likely wouldn't admit it) mothers remain the number one role model for girls at this age. Setting and keeping rules and boundaries with a tween can be challenging, though. Sondra, now a spokeschild for charities working with children in developing countries, shares insights into the way that pre-teen girls think today. And her mother shares her own successful approaches and those of dozens of other mothers with tween girls. Topics addressed include emotional and physical development of tween girls, dating, drinking, clothes, friends, music, money, and more. Step-by-step scripts for handling mother-daughter conflicts are provided, along with tips for communicating with tweens.

"Silvana Clark, a motivational speaker, author, and mother of three, teams with her 17-year-old daughter Sondra Clark (an author in her own right with eight books to her credit) to give often humorous but always practical advice on surviving the ages nine to 12, when girls are testing new feelings, behaviors, and parents' patience. They share insights gleaned from interviews with 100 mother-daughter pairs to show what preteen girls think and need, how mothers can help their daughters avoid the minefields of these years, and how to keep a respectful and loving mother-daughter relationship intact. They give suggestions for mother-daughter activities and example scripts for discussing friendship, peer pressure, self-confidence, dating, music, money, and more." - SciTech Book News, "[C]onfirms the confusion and possible unpleasantness tween girls and their moms face in these sometimes-trying years. Through surveys and interviews with some 100 mother-daughter pairs, the mother/daughter authors show: What preteen girls think and want; How mothers can successfully help their daughters navigate these years to avoid the potential minefields; and How they can successfully guide their daughters while keeping a respectful and loving relationship in tact." - Library Media Connection

Silvana Clark is a popular motivational speaker with 20 years experience running enrichment classes, vocational programs, and camp and teen events. Degreed in recreation administration and the mother of three, she has appeared on CNN, QVC, Home Matters, Smart Solutions, and PAX. She has authored 10 earlier books and more than 200 magazine articles.Sondra Clark is Silvana's 17-year-old daughter, an author in her own right, and a motivational speaker, as well as spokesperson for two businesses. Her many awards include the Next Step Super Teen 2007, the Fox TV National Kids Hero Award, the Nestle Very Best in Youth Award and, in 2001 and 2004, The Kids Hall of Fame Award. Sondra has appeared on CNN, Fox, QVC, Discovery Channel, and a total of 45 televised shows. She has authored 8 books.