The Pink Locker Society - LIVE on the radio!

I'll be doing my first radio interview at noon on Thursday (6/25) with Shannon Devereaux Sanford on WTBQ in northern New Jersey.

I'll be on with Shannon about 12:05 or so.

Listen online HERE.

Just click on the yellow guy on the top right of the page.

Shannon is a mom and author who interviews lots of cool people. She's also a great friend of KidsHealth.org, which self-published The Pink Locker Society and created www.pinklockersociety.org.

We'll be talking about The Pink Locker Society - why I wrote it and how the book and website can help moms and girls.

To learn more about Shannon's show, visit her website.

What Girls Wish Moms Knew (Tip #7)

Good news for moms! You don't have to have that one big talk with your daughter. You know, the one that's supposed to cover everything from soup to nuts about being a girl/woman?

You actually ought to have MANY talks. Before you bolt from this post, hang on. More is actually a good thing. The more often you talk about growing up issues (from bras to birth control), the less you have to pack into one conversation. And, with a narrow focus, each little talk can touch only on the issues your daughter most needs to know about and is ready to discuss.

It's easier for you and her. The 11,000 girls who took our survey about puberty said they'd like their moms to parcel this info out, a bit at a time. Most of all, they don't want a simple desire to get a bra or have some pads handy to morph into a scary conversation about the dangers of sex and boys.

That's why Tip #7 is: Go slow.

So avoid the overwhelming BIG TALK and have these chats little by little through the months and years. (The earlier the better since younger girls were more open to talking with their moms, our survey found.)

It's great to have a mom who knows when to say when. One girl offered this praise for hers, “She answers all my questions and stops when I feel awkward.”

For more help, check out The Pink Locker Society, a resource for girls 8 and up.

What Girls Wish Moms Knew (Tip #6)

It's all in the approach when it comes to talking with your daughter about puberty. To be successful, these conversations require forethought, sensitivity and tact. Our survey of nearly 11,000 girls showed that a mom's manner can make all the difference.

Girls said some moms are giddy and others seem sad or angry when they talk about puberty. As one girl put it, “She talks like she is excited and it makes me feel weird.” Others said their moms were tearful and seemed like they didn’t want them to grow up. But some girls praised their moms for having perfect pitch: “She acts like it’s normal and she's not embarrassed, so neither am I.”

That's why our Tip #6 is: Come across just right.

Expect that your daughter will have some hot-button issues, such as the size of her breasts or whether you're going to let her shave her legs LIKE ALL HER FRIENDS DO. Imagine how you'll feel getting into a discussion over body changes, first bras, and boys. Then think about how you want to come across - open, nonjudgmental, relaxed. Even if you don't exactly feel like a paragon of calm, it's time to fake it 'til you make it. One good talk leads to another when you make your daughter feel at ease.

What Girls Wish Moms Knew (Tip #5)

Tween girls send me email every day. They are sparkly straight shooters that know what they want to know. Sometimes, their questions, asked in innocence, are very funny.

Why do girls have periods and boys don't?
Is sex fun or boring?
How do tampons work - do you swallow them?

It's OK if I chuckle when they land in my inbox. But if you're a mom and your daughter has worked up the courage to ask you something face-to-face: DO NOT LAUGH. (That's daughter-mother Tip#5.)

That's also the message sent loud and clear by the 11,000 girls who took our recent KidsHealth.org survey about puberty. Girls said knowing their moms would not laugh was a key reason they felt at ease with them.

If you’re a bit nervous, you might laugh without meaning anything by it. But better to flood your head with sobering thoughts than to make your daughter feel foolish. Try to sweep aside the humorous aspect and fish for the question under there. Do your best to answer it: "No dear, we don't swallow tampons. Here's how they work..."

And if your daughter asks you if sex is fun or boring, I wish you the very best of luck.