It's cold outside and there won't be any sign of spring for at least eight more weeks, but parents nationwide should begin thinking about summer camp programs and whether or not their children will attend.

Many summer camps begin early registration in February, and the more popular camps may even be filled by the end of March. If your tween is thinking about attending summer camp, you'll need to talk about whether or not he's ready for overnight camp, gauge his interest in camp programs, and figure out what your needs will be, considering work schedules, family vacations, etc.

If your child will attend a residential or overnight camp for the first time, you'll also have to decide if he's really ready to be away from home, and if so, for how long. Be sure to check out local camp fairs, or begin searching for information online or through your circle of friends.

But don't wait too long, before you know it, spring break will have come and gone.

It's that time of year at my house when my kids sort through books and browse websites for science project ideas. They've come up with some pretty good ideas in the past, and this year probably won't be the exception.

In our research, we stumbled upon the SmartLab company, which publishes kits, books, and projects for kids with a keen interest in science. They're well done, and most are at a reasonable price point. We spent last weekend playing around with the SmartLab Extreme Secret Formula Lab. The kit offers up 20 fun experiments designed to spark the interest of kids ages 8 and up. It surely did, as we tackled four of the 20 projects in just one day. All in all, not a bad way to spend a rainy Saturday.

For years, publishing houses seemed to ignore the tween market, or lumped them in with either teens or elementary-aged children. That appears to be changing, however.

Whether they've figured out that tweens have their own set of challenges, or they've calculated the vast marketing potential of the tween population, the end result is the same: More resources for preteens and middle schoolers.

Whether it's the issues of puberty you're hoping to troubleshoot, or the drama and confusion of middle school, there are some wonderful resources available to both you and your child. I've reviewed several of these books on this site, but if you care to suggest a favorite of your own, please feel free to share. In the meantime, I'll continue to search for books and other resources worth getting, and will offer up suggestions periodically.

Katherine Lewis, the About Guide to Working Moms, recently posed this question in my forum: "Does anyone have a good answer to the complaint of "I'm fat" or "my stomach is huge"?

"So far I've just said that what matters is how you feel about yourself and not how you look -- that people who are happy and confident are more attractive than the skinniest nasty person. But I'm afraid the looks-obsessed culture we live in makes that kind of an uphill battle."

How have you handled your tween's body image issues? As Katherine points out, it does feel as though we face an uphill battle as we try to encourage our preteens to focus on inner beauty, and the importance of nutrition, exercise, and other healthy habits. Despite our efforts, tweens hear our warped culture's message loud and clear: beauty is all that counts, period. Combine that message with the ordinary anxieties tweens face as they enter middle school and puberty, and you have a challenge of gigantic proportions on your hands.

So, let's share our thoughts and suggestions on this topic, either here or in the Tween Parenting forum.

Jennifer's take on Katherine's question: First and foremost, I'd make sure that when it comes to eating and body image, I'd do my best to be a good role model, emphasizing nutrition and healthy living. I'd also point out that the models and movie stars your daughter sees in magazines and ads aren't really as "perfect" as they appear to be. They've been airbrushed and Photoshopped to death to make them appear flawless and perfectly thin. It's also important to know the signs of eating disorders, children as young as 8 have been known to engage in anorexic or bulimic behavior.