“One of the most powerful things to teenagers is people proving they are devoted to them.”
Parenting is hard. Parenting babies is tiring. Parenting toddlers is time-consuming. Parenting children is an adventure. Parenting teenagers is like visiting a different planet. The world teenagers are growing up in today is much different than any other generation. Parents need all the help they can get navigating this new territory. The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans is full of roadmaps and advice.
I have two children on the cusp of teenage-hood and I really want to help raise them to reach adulthood successfully. I saw The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans on Kristina Kuzmic’s Facebook page (if you’re a parent – follow her for common sense and laughs!). I looked it up and immediately requested it from my local library. I waited about two weeks for it to get transferred and then the book was in my hands. It was a quick read, but provided a lot of food for thought.
Josh Shipp was a foster kid who dealt with a lot of hard things in life. He did a lot of research for this book and offers tips, advice, statistics and facts. The book has four main parts. In the first part, the author reviews the right parenting mindsets to have. In the second section, he breaks down the phases of teenage-hood into specific years (ages 11-12, 12-14, 14-15, 15-16, 16-17, 17-18). In the third section, he discusses specific challenges facing teenagers and their parents, such as house rules, death, eating disorders, screen time and education. He gives specific ideas of what parents should do in each situation. The last section is several resources, such as things teens need to hear and a cell phone contract.
I would recommend this book to every parent. As soon as your child reaches 9-10, buy this book. If you are friends with a parent of a child this age, buy them this book. I have to return my copy to the library but I will be buying a copy to put on my shelf to refer to for the next decade or so. This book is one of the most common-sense approaches to parenting I’ve come across.
What do you think is the hardest part of parenting teenagers today? Comment below!
This review was shared with #AnOpenBook with Carolyn Astfalk.
Buy the book here (affiliate link)! Really, buy it!