Everyone experiences awkward tween years. They cannot be escaped. Those years make us cringe to look back on as we remember the zits, the braces, the makeup experiments and obsessions with tennis shoes that could skate. For people who grew up in Christian families, these years have some additional awkward gems to reminisce about. These years were full of many great things, and I bet most of us wouldn’t want it any other way. But there are some things that hurt just a little to remember.

1. Jump5

We all wanted Brittany’s flower sparkle jeans and Brandon’s armband!

2. "Left Behind: Youth Series"

Because the adult series was too scary!

3. "Little House on the Prairie"

Pretending there’s no electricity and thinking it’s fun.

4. Barlow Girl

Let’s face it. All of our siblings were going to form a band!

5. The Dreaded "TnT" Shirt

It never fit quite right.

6. Newsboys

So rebellious! Guy-liner and “hard rock music.”

7. "Adventures in Odyssey"

Memorizing all of Eugene’s lines because you thought he was hilarious.

8. Christy Miller & Sierra Jensen books

Feeling like you knew everything about being a teenager before you got there, but it turns out you didn’t.

9. "Sunday School Musical"

Because your mom didn’t want you watching Disney’s version.

10. "Seventh Heaven"

Nothing better than a secular Christian TV show!

11. Evangel-fashion

My shirt is bejeweled because Jesus is my treasure.

12. "Brio"

A little light Christian reading.

13. Watching VeggieTales until you Were way too old.

Can't beat the singing and evangelizing vegetables.

14. Blimey Cow

Trying to be funny and still glorify God, but, let’s be real, most of us still watch these videos.

15. ClearPlay

Because seeing a character mouth bad words is not the same thing as hearing them.

Tween years weren't always the best, but some of it was pretty great.