h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We survived.

My eldest is officially a 'tween-ager' - halfway between childhood and adolescence. She and four of her friends had a sleep-over at our house.

They ate loads of food, played board games, danced and watched movies and went to bed at midnight. Then they woke us up terrified because the timer shut off the X-mas lights outside at 12:30.

The youngest and I hid upstairs and played cards after a bit and left the long-suffering Mrs X to deal with them and their weird antics.

I'm just glad we lived to tell the tale.

I'm never sure what age defines the beginning of "tween"hood -- it seems to vary by region, but I've seen everything from 8-12 marked as the start of the tween years.

Nevertheless, glad y'all survived the party.

I've never heard of tweens! My son's 11, what does that make him? Apart from a raging monster who keeps hurting me when he wants a cuddle. I don't think he knows where he ends and I begin!

I always counted tweens as 11 and 12 for girls. But I don't think boys reach the same stage until they are 13, so it doesn't apply to them.

Oh good - nothing else to worry about for me!

>>Apart from a raging monster who keeps hurting me when he wants a cuddle

Our 11-year-old girl does that too! She's a big girl.

Mine too.

I don't know that I'm ready for a teenager, but I don't think I have much say in the matter.

I'm glad to know it's not just me! I bet you don't make as much fuss as I do though.

I keep trying to tell him to be gentle with women, but if little girls can have the same effect on men, I think I'll change my tactics.

I think they're designed to destroy each other at this age.

If they'd stick to each other, fair enough. I just don't want any growing pains.