Dear Eric: I have a tween-age daughter (11) who used to be very sweet. Lately she has been very mouthy — always answers back and is rude, especially to me. I don't know why she has changed so much. She has a younger brother and says

I treat him better. I try to treat them the same. Any advice on how to handle this situation as I feel it's only going to get worse? — Exhausted Mom

Dear Mom: The good and the bad news is that this may be a phase that she's going through, and not permanent. But it still needs redirection. You can help her develop emotional maturity by being clear about what respectful conversation is and how you expect to be addressed. This doesn't always have to be a reprimand; try also coaching her. "I don't like to be spoken to like that; why don't you rephrase."

You ca

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