I've already seen signs of this transition. At times she's still like a little girl playing happily with her younger siblings, enjoying childish games and showing affection to her parents. But at others I catch glimpses of the teenage years to come: sulks, demands for privacy, sleepovers, peer pressures and defiance.

It's a testing time for both of us. According to parenting expert Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer, the author of Talking to Tweenies, it's a period in which she'll grow in confidence, become self-aware and start to establish her sense of identity. She'll strive more for independence and become more reliant on friends.

Where does this leave me? How do I handle this stage and how far should I let go? Get it wrong and I could be heading for a tough time ahead.

Talking to Tweenies is all about building and maintaining a healthy, loving relationship with your child in the hope that it will leave you in good stead to survive those challenging teenage years to come. Or as the subtitle puts it: 'Getting it right before it gets rocky with your eight- to 12-year-old'.

Hartley-Brewer tells it straight with some sound advice and useful pointers on dealing with almost any dilemma or difficult situation your tweenie throws your way, such as countering pester power, encouraging self-discipline, dealing with a friendship crisis, supporting them at school, helping them find space, and how to react to sibling squabbles.

Other sections offer some welcome advice on a parent's worst fears - drugs, drink and sex - and how to tackle these difficult issues.

According to Hartley-Brewer the aim of every parent during the tweenie years should be to nurture each child's individual strengths and help them develop a positive outlook and clear sense of direction. If this is so, then her book goes some way to setting parents on the right path to achieve this.

If you're still sceptical, then take the words of one father who posted a message on Amazon.com after turning to this book after a nightmare weekend with his twin nine-year-old girls.

'Right from day one of reading this book I've been able to use tips and tricks to calm what would have been confrontational situations and honestly feel we have a happier household,' he says.

'I've certainly changed how I view my girls since reading this book, from being little girls to growing youngsters who need and demand more responsibility and reassurance.'

Verdict: Not cheap talk, but an investment in happy families.