Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday

This week I took my tween shopping for clothes and reality hit. It seemed no matter what style or brand of jeans he tried on, they were too tight in the waist. I’ve been astounded to see that in the past year my once skinny boy has grown taller, broader, and yes, heavier, as he approaches puberty.

As a parent, it’s often difficult to know the right way to address children’s weight issues. Michelle Obama came under wide criticism when she publicly disclosed that her daughters were becoming heavy. While we often focus attention on body image with girls, boys have their own concerns. My 15-year-old is constantly checking his physique in the mirror lamenting that he is too fat, which he isn’t at all. The younger one, who needs to slim down, so far seems oblivious to his weight.

My challenge is to keep it in perspective. I try to follow the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and encourage the boys to get an hour of exercise every day, to eat their vegetables and cut down on the fattening snacks. But as they grow older and more independent, it’s hard to monitor everything they put in their mouth.

My hope is that the boys grow older, they will recognize the importance of eating right and exercising regularly, and make wise choices without become obsessive about their appearance.