Must See Video For Tweens at Back to School: Rachel Crow's "Mean Girls"

We were watching the Arthur Ashe Kids Day concert at the US Open this weekend, and a new performer named Rachel Crow sang her new single, "Mean Girls". Both this mom and tweens were captivated by the song, so we went online to find the video - and that was even better.

We love how this young girl (she's 14 years old!) captured both the loneliness of being bullied and the courage it takes to move beyond it. This is must-see viewing for all tweens and their parents this Back to School season.

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New Report Finds That Parents Approve of Social Media Use By Kids

Given all the writing on social media for kids (including ours), we found the following interesting: a new report released today by Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, finds that 83% of parents think the benefits of their kids’ social media use, including sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, balance or outweigh perceived risks. The report is titled "Healthy Perspectives: Parents, Kids and Social Media" and also finds that 72% of parents agree that their child’s participation in social networking is good preparation for future work success in a world increasingly dependent on technology.

Here are some other interesting tidbits from the report:

• 68% of parents believe a child should be 13 or older to join Facebook. 
• 64% of parents with children ages 12 or younger indicate they are concerned about sexting or inappropriate sexual behavior as a result of social media, while fewer than half (49%) of parents of children between the ages of 13 and 19 are concerned about the issue.
• 72% of parents said it would help prepare them for life in a digital world. 
• 59% said it would help them learn through collaboration and exchange of ideas. 
• 57% said it would encourage them to be more curious, aware and open-minded.
• 55% said they think it is an effective teaching tool.
• A somewhat smaller number, 46%, said they believe it fosters individual identity and social skills.

The full report can be found here.

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A Tween's Review of Willa Skincare

A new line of skincare just launched this summer called Willa Skincare. What makes this line unique is that it's created by a tween girl (Willa) in collaboration with her mom out of a desire for natural skincare that is priced and designed for tweens. SPF is a HUGE focus of the line given a family history with skin cancer, and the formulations are all natural. The pieces in the line are modern, not cute-sy, and affordable on a tween allowance budget - making it a standout in our minds.

Maya reviewed the line this summer - here are her thoughts:

I really like the Willa facial wash because it was both light and cleansing. I like the fact that it is in a foam because it felt gentler than a scrub or toner. However, I did think because of its gentleness it was necessary to be paired with a strong scrub to be an effective skin care system. I think this product works fantastically as an after workout/ mid-day facial rinse.

I liked both the color and taste of the Willa lip gloss. I thought the color was perfect for summertime- very upbeat and bright. Plus, it would look great at the beach! I thought that the consistency was a bit sticky to use in the summer time with all the humid weather, but it'll be great for Fall.

And don't miss Willa's Pinterest page - TONS of fun!
Willa Skincare is available at Target at prices ranging from $1.75 for the cucumber facial mask to $11.50 for the foaming facial wash.
Photo credit: Maya for MsTwixt

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Fabulous Models for Tween Girls: U.S. Women Win More Gold Medals at Olympics

Our family has been glued to the t.v. as we watched the Olympics this summer.. Our tweens have been enraptured by the spectacle of diverse sports and by seeing so many women's sporting events televised. HUGE thanks go to especially to Missy, Katie (a hometown heroine for us DC denizens!), Gabby, Ali, Jordan, Rebecca, Serena, Venus, and Allison - to name but a few - for inspiring our tween daughters like never before. We were further heartened to learn today that the U.S. Women earned 29 gold medals, besting by an even dozen the number won by the U.S. Men (at 17 - not too shabby either). We have Title IX to thank in part to this accomplishment, and boy, does it show. Congrats ladies!

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J.K. Rowling On Body Image

Our eldest came across this via Instagram - we love this:

“Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.

I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…

I went to the British Book Awards that evening. After the award ceremony I bumped into a woman I hadn’t seen for nearly three years. The first thing she said to me? ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you!’

‘Well,’ I said, slightly nonplussed, ‘the last time you saw me I’d just had a baby.’

What I felt like saying was, ‘I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size?’ But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!

I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.”

- J.K. Rowling