What Do Tweens Like?

This is obviously a trick question. First, what any given tween likes will differ radically from what another tween likes, despite apparent similarities in age, interest and background. Except, of course, with regard to the Jonas Brothers
. That's pretty consistent.

Beyond that, what one specific tween likes will vary wildly from one moment to the next, without notice. As parents, we are expected to discern these internal and unspoken changes and adapt on the fly, so that we don't inadvertantly suggest a CD or television show that, while cherished at 11:02 a.m., is totally embarrassing at 11:13. Except, of course, with regard to the Jonas Brothers. They're pretty consistent.

There is one area (besides the Jonas Brothers) in which we can safely predict what a tween will like: anything we think is too old or inappropriate for her. This includes R-rated movies, particularly those of the gruesome horror variety or the extremely risque ones. Note that it makes little difference whether your tween actually enjoys such movies, or even whether she'll be sitting up all night staring at the shadows on the wall and wishing she still had her teddy bear in bed with her--whatever carries the teenage aura is coveted, no matter what she's really interested in deep down in her heart and mind.

The same goes for trashy clothing. No matter that it's uncomfortable and often unflattering. It's a Sign of Growing Up.

Good news, though. The tween phase doesn't last, and the one upside to the acceleration of all these teen-angst issues is that they're out of the way sooner, too.


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How Does Tiffany Know the Jonas Brothers?

I don't.

Really.

However, I'm going to guess that the person who asked this question didn't mean me.

My first thought was that the question referred to 80s singer Tiffany, because she's the only Tiffany I recall having gone by only her first name.

I suggested that to my daughter, and she said, "Who is Tiffany?" She's 12 and dead center for the Jonas Brothers demographic, so I had to rethink that. In fact, I couldn't come up with another possibility (still really sure they didn't mean me), so I did some Googling myself.

I came to the conclusion that the question related to singer Tiffany Giardina. My daughter hadn't heard of her either, and she was a little edgy about that fact, but it turned out that her music wasn't bad, and she's got a little video on her MySpace page in which Kevin Jonas calls her "our best friend". I suspect a slight exaggeration, but her bio says that she grew up with the Jonas Brothers (there's your answer, if that's what you're looking for).


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