For the November Tween Stages section of Thriving Family, Vance Fry has a couple of shorter articles that he is requesting submissions for:

First, he's looking for effective methods for working with a tween who is not interested in extended family gatherings. Do you have a son or daughter who would rather hang out with their cellphone or Nintendo DS than hanging with the cousins? Have you found a way to loosen them up and get them interested in Uncle Bob and Aunt Donna? If so, he’d love to hear about it.

Second, with November’s mid-term elections on the horizon, how have you creatively taught your tween the importance of being involved and interested in the workings of our government? (Please, try not to dive into all the messy specifics of partisan politics.)

Each article (true-life narrative) should be written to parents of pre-teen/tween children (8- to -12-year-olds). Articles should be written in first person, and they must have practical ideas that our readers can implement in their own parenting. (Tip: We generally select articles that are strong on the practical parenting side. Good stories are important, of course, but there must be some take-away value for our readers.)
 
Summary: 1) How have you gotten your kids interested in extended family gatherings?
                2) How have your taught the importance of being a good citizen to your tween?

Department: Family Stages
Due date: June 19 (note the tighter deadline for this article)
Payment: $50 on acceptance
Rights:  First non-exclusive
Word count: 50-150 words
Publication: November 2010

Please submit to: vance.fry@fotf.org