The TWEEN book is here!

Our TWEEN edition is now available with a whole new set of questions geared to the concerns of parents of tweens (testing the limits of their pre-teen boundaries). Here's a scenario that you might've faced recently--or that you might face soon. Let us know (in the survey to the right) what YOU would do!

Extravagant Gift

Your daughter wants to give $100 cash to her new best friend for her Bat Mitzvah. You think it is too much money and shows her insecurity and a desire to “buy” her friend’s friendship. 

She says she’ll use her own money, money that she was given for her own birthday.

What Would You Do?

a) It’s her money so it should be her decision.

b) Consult your friends and find out if this gift is in the normal range. If they approve, give the green light.

c) Have your daughter purchase a gift that is more meaningful and certainly would cost less than $100.

d) Set a limit of $25 or something in tune with your family budget; more than that is out of line.

Follow-up questions that readers have asked:

Where do you draw the line? You know your daughter wants her gift to be noticed (and appreciated), but...are you teaching her that friendship can be bought?

What if she's invited to 10 more bat mitzvahs?!

Post a comment and let us know what you think!

SPS: Pink Triangle Prank

Pink Triangle Prank

Your son and his friends joke constantly that the new boy at school acts “so gay.” Today you learned that someone painted a pink triangle on his locker. You mentioned this to your son and he smiled slyly, saying, “Isn’t a pink triangle a gay pride thing?” The other moms say, “What’s the big deal?”

What Would YOU Do?

This SPS is one of the most hotly-debated Sticky Parenting Situations in The Mom Quiz. In our e-book we offer 4 possible responses, from searching your son's belongings for pink paint (and, if you find some, washing the evidence immediately) to organizing a meeting for parents who want to stop bullying. Vote for one of our abbreviated answers in our survey (look to the right)! 

Follow-up questions that readers have asked:

What if you do find pink paint on your son's clothes. Are you willing to let him be suspended from school? 

How guilty will you feel if you say nothing, the bullying continues, and the boy harms himself?

Post a comment and let us know what you think!