How To Tackle Your Pre-Teen's Nosey Behaviour

Your budding snoops are rapidly invading your privacy. Learn how to tackle your tweens adroitly.

- Shilpi Madan

I was checking the messages on my phone when I suddenly felt my tween’s warm breath on my shoulder. “Show me, show me! Wow, what posts! That’s such an awesome dress Pooja is wearing in this picture. Where is she?” I turned around, eyebrows raised, and a tad irritated at being spied on. My daughter, Anoushka, caught my scowl and asked immediately, “Shouldn’t you be working, Mom?

You told me earlier that you had important stuff to take care of. Checking your messages on What’sApp isn’t really ‘working’.” She then stalked off, feigning a bruised ego.

Nosing around comes easy to most pre-teens. They’re peeping over your shoulder when you are texting someone, answering your phone when you are not around, and thumbing through your notes, papers, files, bags as well as drawers. Forget being curious, snooping and sleuthing is, in fact, fast becoming second nature for our growing children.

Be patient and calm down