Liz Atwood is back with Tween Tuesday. Today, she's looking for secrets for keeping the peace in a household full of volatile tween/teen emotions:

Can anyone be harder to live with than a tween? Yes, you say. A teen. We have one of each in our house and it’s like living with two powder kegs. The other night we all went to the movies and the boys fought over who got to sit up front in the car. The loser stalked off and wouldn’t speak to us for the rest of the evening.

I came across this interview with a middle school guidance counselor in the Chicago area. She says the secret to parenting tweens is to keep the channels of communication open and keep listening. I agree. But getting them to talk is sometimes the hard part. As they get older, I’ve found it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out what’s going on in their lives. I’m sure I’m not alone. Do you have any advice for dealing with the volatile tween/teen?