Crazy days.(preteen)

Q. Our kids are II and 13 and they're making us nuts! Please help us find something unique and positive about our kids.

A. I hear this question from so many parents. They're frustrated with not understanding their preteens. The child who seemed so perfect and normal only a couple of years ago has turned into a complex mess of moods and attitudes. What these parents want most is perspective. So here's a dose.

The preteen years are a unique time in a child's life. This is when two significant life phases overlap: The openness and receptivity of childhood and the forward-looking attitudes of adolescence. This overlap creates a small window of opportunity for …