Understanding Your Teen

As God allows us to understand the mystery and marvel of brain science, we have the exciting opportunity to reexamine our assumptions about human behavior. Perhaps nowhere does this impact our lives more profoundly than when we think about raising children--especially teenagers. Where parents often see a sweet boy or girl who has morphed into an incomprehensible bundle of hormones and angst, what we really ought to be seeing is an amazing young adult whose brain is under heavy construction. And changing the way we see our teens will revolutionize our relationships with them. Organized by what we hear teens say--things like I'm bored, You just don't understand, Why are you freaking out?, I hate my life!, or Hold on . . . I just have to send this--this book helps parents develop compassion for their teens and discernment in parenting them as their brains are progressively remodeled. Rather than seeing the teen years as a time to simply hold on for dear life, Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark show that they can be an amazing season of cultivating creativity, self-awareness, and passion for the things that really matter.

Parenting teenagers is one of the biggest challenges parents face. New realities make becoming independent more difficult. Teens are traveling a different road and are moving at a different pace than those of previous generations. Today's cultural environment is more complicated and confusing than ever. But fear not! Family expert Jim Burns provides a handy guide for parenting teens. For teens to become responsible adults, parents need to help them grow through developmental changes to attain a healthy self-identity, establish good relationships, make wise decisions, and grow in their relationship with God. Burns shows how parents can shape behavior and character, navigate social media challenges, and communicate and resolve conflict healthily. He also tackles the realities of our day, including cyberbullying, dating violence, self-injury, depression, and much more. Whether you're facing serious troubles or looking for simple tips for a better family life, this book offers help and hope.

"Youth today love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, no respect for older people, and talk nonsense when they should work." Even the most caring parents in the world can't protect their teenagers from the problems they might encounter. From years of working in youth ministries, authors Wayne Rice and David Veerman have discovered that parents are the single most important factor in shaping the lives of teenages. Understanding Your Teenager will encourage and equip you to fill your role as a parent of a teenager.

Understanding Your Young Teen is a book on early adolescent development for parents of young teens and pre-teens. Parents of young teens will 1. Gain an understanding of the unique and not-always-obvious realities of early adolescent development. This new understanding can greatly enhance parents’ patience, parenting approaches, and relationship with their child. 2. Review the developmental uniquenesses of the young teen years. Most parents don’t fully appreciate the changes that are taking place in their teens bodies, minds and relationships. This resource will give them a solid understanding of those areas. 3. Explore new research and cultural changes. Parents will get a better understanding of the changing landscape of teen culture and see how much as changed since they were young teens. The bulk of the book will be based on the first half of: Middle School Ministry. The developmental chapters will be re-written for parents, and will not only include the developmental issues themselves, but the practical implications for parenting and living with young teens. A strong pro-young teen bias will permeate the book, as my affection for young teens and conviction that this age is a great opportunity for faith formation will be woven through all chapters. While the book will be based on research and experience, the tone will be conversational, from one parent of young teens to others. First-person tense will be used throughout, along with examples from my family and extensive involvement with young teens.

It’s not easy to be a teen girl, and it’s definitely not easy parenting one. Parents everywhere struggle to respond appropriately to challenging behavior, hit-or-miss communication, and fluctuating moods commonly exhibited by teenage girls. More than previous generations, today’s teen girls face a daunting range of stressors that put them at risk for a range of serious issues, including self-harming behaviors, substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Is it any wonder that parents are overwhelmed? Parenting a Teen Girl is a guide for busy parents who want bottom-line information and tips that make sense—and work. It also offers scripts to improve communication, and exercises to navigate stressful interactions with skill and compassion. Whether your teen girl is struggling with academic pressure, social difficulties, physical self-care, or technology overload, this book offers practical advice to help you connect with your teen girl. Parents and teens alike can enjoy a positive connection once common parent-teen pitfalls are replaced with solid understanding and strategies that work. In this book, you will learn how to: Maximize your teen’s healthy development Understand what underlies her moods and behavior Implement strategies for positive results Communicate effectively about difficult issues Enjoy and appreciate time with your teen daughter

Discusses handling children with intense emotions, including managing emotional outbursts both at home and in public, promoting mindfulness, and teaching correct behavioral principles to children.

"I've met hundreds of thousands of Christian leaders in my life, but very, very few of the caliber of Dina Comer. That's why you are going to smile very broadly that you picked up this book, Help! There's a Teen in My House. As you read these pages, you will glean the essence and fiber of Dina's most important ministry-that of raising her amazing children. From my vantage point, she has done an A+ job. So go get a good cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair, and enjoy this amazing book." -Jeanne Mayo, Youth speaker, leadership coach, and author Has parenting your teen become too daunting a challenge? Do you sometimes doubt your influence and authority in your teen's life? Are you tired of parenting resources that simply don't work? Can you use some help and encouragement? In Help! There's a Teen in My House: Six Secrets to Understanding Your Teen, you will find proven-effective, positive parenting principles and practices that will help you mold and shape your teenager into a young man or woman with a heart that hungers for God, and who lives a life that glorifies Him. You will be encouraged to learn that, like Play-Doh, your teen can and must be molded by you. As you are equipped and empowered with parenting skills and knowledge, your confidence will soar. Your passion and excitement over parenting your teen will rise to new heights. Be the parent you've always dreamed you could be with Help! There's a Teen in My House: Six Secrets to Understanding Your Teen. Dina Comer has served in youth ministry since 1988, and currently serves as the youth pastor of VOX, the youth ministry of Christian Life Fellowship, Cape Coral, Florida. Dina and her husband, David, have raised two children. Dina's life motto is: "No Compromise, No Excuses, No Regrets!"

Being a teen (or the parent of a teen) doesn't have to be so hard. How to Raise Your Parents will help teens and their parents navigate those years between training bras and keys to the family car. In a voice teens will relate to and parents will appreciate, author Sarah O'Leary Burningham offers smart advice about negotiation and parental hot buttons and a little insight about what the world looks like from a parent's point of view.