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Running the Rapids
Ever been white-water rafting? That sudden rush of adrenaline, exhilaration, and white-knuckle terror and that overwhelming sense of foreboding that leaves you gasping for breath and hoping against all hope you'll live to see another day? If so, then you know the thrill, the terror, the risks, and, yes, the rewards of raising adolescents! So strap on your life preserver and join Dr. Kevin Leman as he guides you through the turbulent waters of adolescence. Peer pressure, self-image, dating, sex―Leman covers them all in his trademark “no-holds-barred” style that will bring a smile to the faces and hope to the hearts of even the most beleaguered parents.
- GenresParenting
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
5 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Leman
220 books380 followersDr. Kevin Leman, an internationally known psychologist, radio and television personality, and speaker, has taught and entertained audiences worldwide with his wit and commonsense psychology. The best-selling and award-winning author has made house calls for hundreds of radio and television programs, including The View with Barbara Walters, The Today Show, Oprah, CBS's The Early Show, Live with Regis Philbin, CNN's American Morning, and LIFE Today with James Robison, and he has served as a contributing family psychologist to Good Morning America. He is the founder and president of Couples of Promise, an organization designed and committed to helping couples remain happily married. Dr. Leman is also a charter faculty member of iQuestions.com. He has written over 30 best-selling books about marriage and family issues, including The Birth Order Book and Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage. Dr. Leman and his wife, Sande, live in Tucson. They have five children.
Connect with Dr. Leman on:
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Connect with Dr. Leman on:
BirthOrderGuy.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 5, 2018
This book is typical Leman style, blunt and to the point, not your expected advice and full of real life examples to show you he knows what he's talking about. After reading it I feel equally encouraged and challenged, and I think that's a pretty good place for a parent of teenagers to be.
October 9, 2014
If you have adolescents or pre-adolescents living in your home, you must read this fantastic book. As a parent of two adolescents (and two who will be there soon), I found this to be an amazing resource and encouragement in my parenting.
Some of my favorite thoughts from the book were...
Adolescence is "a contradictory place- where young teenagers want to be the center of the world at the same time they don't want any attention drawn to them! They want to be perfect in all they do and in how they look, yet they also desperately desire to be just like everyone else in their peer group"
"You can no longer control your children, but you can still influence them"
"Let's face it- from day to day, raising teenagers can be exhausting"
"We might be able to fool a toddler, but adolescents have a particularly keen nose for hypocrisy and double standards"
"The best way to get your children to talk to you is to make sure you don't ask them questions. Just stop, cold turkey...asking questions is one of the best ways to shut down your kid"
"You have the power either to prepare your kids to stand up to peer pressure early on or to turn them into willing dupes who will run along with the herd"
"There is a giant social magnet pulling your children to be like everyone else"
"If you want to raise healthy kids, then say test to time with your kids, not yes to activities"
"In order for teenagers to trust you, you must be willing to share your real self with them, not just the ideal self you would like to have them think you are. They have to know you"
"Refuse to do anything that your kids should do for themselves"
"Begin talking with your children about sex even before they reach adolescence"
"Now isn't the time to find my husband. It's a time to find the qualities I want in a husband"
"...there are two kinds of people: those who work hard to be noticed and those who work hard to notice others"
"Parents need to give guidelines, set limits, establish rules, and enforce them"
"Your goal as a parent is to help your children become all that they can be. It is not to make them feel guilty for not becoming what they aren't capable of becoming"
"One of the toughest assignments for us as parents is to respect our children and their choices"
"...don't embarrass them"
"Everyone is replaceable outside the home; no one is replaceable inside it"
"Sometimes it can be a painful process for sons and daughters to begin making their own decisions, but mothers and fathers who over parent don't give their kids an opportunity to develop their own inner resources"
Some of my favorite thoughts from the book were...
Adolescence is "a contradictory place- where young teenagers want to be the center of the world at the same time they don't want any attention drawn to them! They want to be perfect in all they do and in how they look, yet they also desperately desire to be just like everyone else in their peer group"
"You can no longer control your children, but you can still influence them"
"Let's face it- from day to day, raising teenagers can be exhausting"
"We might be able to fool a toddler, but adolescents have a particularly keen nose for hypocrisy and double standards"
"The best way to get your children to talk to you is to make sure you don't ask them questions. Just stop, cold turkey...asking questions is one of the best ways to shut down your kid"
"You have the power either to prepare your kids to stand up to peer pressure early on or to turn them into willing dupes who will run along with the herd"
"There is a giant social magnet pulling your children to be like everyone else"
"If you want to raise healthy kids, then say test to time with your kids, not yes to activities"
"In order for teenagers to trust you, you must be willing to share your real self with them, not just the ideal self you would like to have them think you are. They have to know you"
"Refuse to do anything that your kids should do for themselves"
"Begin talking with your children about sex even before they reach adolescence"
"Now isn't the time to find my husband. It's a time to find the qualities I want in a husband"
"...there are two kinds of people: those who work hard to be noticed and those who work hard to notice others"
"Parents need to give guidelines, set limits, establish rules, and enforce them"
"Your goal as a parent is to help your children become all that they can be. It is not to make them feel guilty for not becoming what they aren't capable of becoming"
"One of the toughest assignments for us as parents is to respect our children and their choices"
"...don't embarrass them"
"Everyone is replaceable outside the home; no one is replaceable inside it"
"Sometimes it can be a painful process for sons and daughters to begin making their own decisions, but mothers and fathers who over parent don't give their kids an opportunity to develop their own inner resources"
October 11, 2016
I am a big fan of Dr Leman and have never been disappointed by any of his writings. This book on parenting teenagers is AWESOME! Humor and real life tales bring each principle presented to life and the book as a whole is an easy to follow guide for parents. I loved the analogy of white water rafting and raising teenagers...it is so true! Dr Leman has a masterful way of being honest and real, using humor and laughter while informing, teaching, and encouraging.
December 18, 2014
Love Dr. Leman's practical, non-nonsense advice for guiding teens. I will try to incorporate his methods ASAP!
May 11, 2015
Good nuggets of wisdom
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews