There are some changes around here on Ooph. You might have noticed a drastic difference in the design. I hope you approve. My goal was to create a site that answers the questions you in the interworld have asked via Facebook, Twitter and this site as well as the countless calls and questions from my friends who are years behind me in the raising kids realm.
I have long said that raising tweens and teens can be difficult but armed with knowledge and a sense of humor you can do it without alienating them. You don’t need to be their friends. That is ridiculous and something I highly advise against. Be their parents. Set boundaries. Provide discipline. Be constantly one step ahead of them. Call and make sure they are where they say they are. Not to their cell phones, but to the parents of the places they are planning to stay. Do all those things and also talk with them. Engage them in conversations. Table Talk is a great way to start or keep the conversation going. Laugh with them. Be their strong confidant, not their adversary.
There will be anonymous posts from those who feel compelled to share their own stories so that you may benefit. These, I believe, will be some of the the most valuable. We are afraid to share these stories in our own neighborhoods for fear that our family or children will be judged. Here we can have safe conversations and provide much need information to each other. You will also find answers to your technology questions, health and image issues, driving fears, education issues, involving your kids in giving back and much, much more.
It is my greatest hope that you find Ooph a place to go for your every question regarding these crazy times. Questions will be answered by professionals, of course, but also by parents going through the same things as you. You won’t find some unachievable perfect vision of what you and your child should be doing. Instead you will enjoy a place of real information from those living the very same life as you.
Ooph is a place of community. The conversations are started by writers and made important and relevant by your comments and input. Please join the discussions. There is no perfect way to parent tweens and teens. As the old adage goes, it takes a village. A village of parents doing their best, not achieving perfection, but looking out for each other. Let this be your village.
Understand that Ooph’s new design just launched and there will be glitches. Let me know what works or doesn’t work at stefanie(at)ooph(dot)com. Please send questions you would like to have answered and guest post ideas to that same address.
A very special thank you to my fabulous web design crew at TM5150. As always your creativity, professionalism and vision has made this site something I am proud of.
About Stefanie
