February 19, 2015 VOLU M E 2 8 | I S S UE 1 3
HighlandsRanchHerald.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Mother and daughter Debi Smith-Racanelli and Kendall Racanelli wrote the book “Between Baby Dolls and Boyfriends: How to Successfully Navigate Your Daughter’s Tween Years” to offer advice to parents of girls between the ages of 9 and 12. Photo by Christy Steadman
Surviving the Psychologist offers advice for parents of girls
HOW TO FIND THE BOOK Here are some ways to obtain “Between Baby Dolls and Boyfriends: How to Successfully Navigate Your Daughter’s Tween Years,” by Debi Smith-Racanelli and Kendall Racanelli.
By Christy Steadman
csteadman @coloradocommunitymedia.com A little girl wants her peers to see how cool the Hello Kitty logo is on her brand-new shirt, said Highlands Ranch author Debi Smith-Racanelli. Whereas a tween wants her peers to see how cool she looks in her brand-new shirt with the Hello Kitty logo. Girls between the ages of 9 and 12 go through a lot in these tween years, SmithRacanelli said, as they transition from being a little girl to a teen. They start puberty, go from elementary school to middle school, and friend issues, and the drama around that, begins to take center stage, she said.
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• Borrow it from the Douglas County Libraries: www. douglascountylibraries.org. • Download it as an e-book through Amazon. Paperback versions are also available for purchase on Amazon. • Buy it from the Tattered Cover, 9315 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch. “Your daughter’s moods and attitude begin to change,” Smith-Racanelli said. “BFFs come and go, temptations and negative influences are introduced and multiply, social media hits their smartphones.” Tween continues on Page 11
Debi Smith-Racanelli and Kendall Racanelli talk to Colorado Community Media
Ken d a l l sa y s:
What is the hardest part about being a tween girl?
De b i sa ys: What is the hardest part about raising a tween girl?
You feel like your parents are still treating you like a little kid, but you don’t want to be treated that way, so you try to not be controlled.
Finding the balance of letting her grow up and start to find her own way, but making sure that you’re still involved and able to support her growth.
What are girls most challenged with in their tween years?
What are parents most challenged with in a tween daughter?
Looking and acting cool for peers. Cool for tweens is people looking up to you and wanting to be your friend. They see the older kids having fun and hanging out together and they kind of want that, so they try to act like them, thinking all their peers will think of them as cool. Should a parent worry if they feel their tween is either too immature or too mature? I think parents should worry more if their tween is more immature than her peers, because she has more of a chance of getting bullied for it. Why is it important to pay attention to tweens? Now, with all the technology and social media, some of the things that people post are just awful and inappropriate. Parents are oblivious to that. They might not realize that people would put certain things on social media. If the parents are aware, then it’s easier for them to stop it, and stop their kids from seeing it.
When people have kids in elementary school, they have to be super-vigilant because they require a lot of supervision. Parents of tweens sometimes make the mistake of giving them too much freedom, rather than making that transition with them.
Widening to worsen C-470 noise Meetings aim to inform about sound levels By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com With a growing population comes more traffic, and with that comes lane expansions and added noise. The Colorado Department of Transportation had two open houses at the Highlands Ranch Metro District headquarters Feb. 10 and 11 to present its analysis of traffic noise generated by C-470, which is being widened by two and, in some places, three toll lanes starting in 2016. CDOT researched noise levels during “worst-case scenario” travel hours and peak traffic times, and projected what those numbers will be when the entire widening is completed around 2018, said Jon Chesser, environmental project manager for CDOT. Officials presented the numbers to homeowners who live near the interstate, along with recommendations to mitigate the increased noise, during the open houses. The second night drew more than 60 people who had questions pertaining to everything from how the studies were conducted to what impacts the noise might have on home values. Any homeowners exposed to sound below 66 decibels are considered not impacted by traffic noise, Chesser said, citing state and federal standards. Those who are affected will have the opportunity to vote on whether they want a noise barrier, such as a wall or berm, and a vote of 50 percent in favor is required to build a barrier. The extent of mitigation measures will also be weighed against construction costs. Some residents were upset that their homes were not within the zone that recommended noise abatement features. That included William Berg, who bought his home on Mallard Place, near Colorado Boulevard and Venneford Ranch Road, just six months ago. He was attending his first public meeting about the widening Feb. 11 after receiving a letter and postcard from the state. Berg, whose top concern is noise, was surprised to find there was no recommendation for a wall or berm behind his house on the poster boards at the meeting, despite his proximity to C-470. “Even though my house backs up directly to 470 and it’s going to expand closer to my house with more traffic, I’m not a candidate for noise mitigation,” he said, before C-470 continues on Page 11
Should a parent worry if they feel their tween is either too immature or too mature? Yes. If a tween is too immature, I would worry that the immaturity would allow them to be too easily influenced. If they’re too mature, I would worry that they’re at risk of becoming involved with things they are definitely not ready for. Why is it important to pay attention to tweens? Parents are not aware of all the influences that surround tweens — from the negative media content to the kids talking about drugs and alcohol to the crazy amount of stuff they see on YouTube and social media. Even if their kids aren’t involved in those things, I think parents would be shocked at just how much their kids are actually exposed to.
Courtesy photo
Residents view a project schedule and the results of noise impact analyses related to the addition of toll lanes on C-470 between I-25 and Kipling Street. Some neighborhoods could get sound barriers, such as walls and berms. Photo by Chris Michlewicz