What do you think?
Rate this book
The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans: How to Decode Their Behavior, Develop Unshakable Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult
Nautilus Gold Award Parenting & FamilyPerplexed by your teen's behavior? Navigating trust issues? Anxious about their future?Introducing a practical guide to help decode teen behavior, develop unshakable trust, and raise a respectable adult.Being a teen these days is tough. Being the parent of a teen is even tougher. That's why we all need a little help sometimes.Once an at-risk foster teen, he was headed straight for trouble until he met the caring adult who changed his Rodney, the foster parent who refused to quit on him.In The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans, Shipp, now a bestselling author and renowned youth advocate, shows all of us how to be that caring adult in a teenager's life.Stressing the need for compassion, trust, and encouragement, he breaks down the phases of a teenage human from sixth to twelfth grade, examining the changes, goals, and mentality of teenagers at each stage. Shipp offers revelatory stories that take us inside the teen brain and shares wisdom from top professionals and the most expert grown-ups.He also includes practice scripts that address tough issues, FORGIVENESS: What do I do when a teen has been really hurt by someone, and it's not their fault? COMMUNICATION: How do I get a teen to talk to me? They just grunt. TRUST: My teen blew it. My trust is gone. Where do we go from here? BULLYING: Help! A teen (or their friend) is being harassed. DIFFICULT & AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS: Drugs. Death. Sex. Oh my.Written in Shipp's playfully authoritative, no-nonsense voice, The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans is certain to empower you with practical strategies that can make a difference.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2017
486 people are currently reading
1545 people want to read
About the author
Josh Shipp
10 books34 followersJosh Shipp is the host of the TV Show JUMP SHIPP, author of "The Teen's Guide to World Domination" (St. Martins Press), named a CNN Young Person Who Rocks and was listed on INC. Magazine's 30 under 30 list.
Josh has established an international reputation as a teen behavior expert who can get through to any teen. He's spoken at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, & UCLA. He's addressed groups of parents, educators, and mental health professionals on "how to get through to teens." Plus he has spoken to more than TWO MILLION teenagers live. He is a recognized on-air expert for such media outlets as MTV, CNN, and FOX. Josh offers up a healthy dose of advice that he calls "in your face, but on your side."
He counsels teens on everything they care about, coming across like a stand-up comedian crossed with Dr. Phil. This "in your face, but on your side", style challenges teens to find their own identity and purpose.
Josh was born an orphan and bounced around in many different foster homes, until he discovered how to turn a mess into a message. Learning how life's battles could be won, he strives to pass this knowledge on. His relentless optimism and story of triumph encourage people to think of themselves, and their mistakes as an opportunity to shape the future as they wish to live it.
“I’ve found that sometimes the very thing that has hurt you the most, is the very thing you can use to help others. You can’t change the past -- so why not focus on building an incredible future?” - Josh Shipp
Josh lives in sunny California, is a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month, and a marathon runner.
Josh has established an international reputation as a teen behavior expert who can get through to any teen. He's spoken at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, & UCLA. He's addressed groups of parents, educators, and mental health professionals on "how to get through to teens." Plus he has spoken to more than TWO MILLION teenagers live. He is a recognized on-air expert for such media outlets as MTV, CNN, and FOX. Josh offers up a healthy dose of advice that he calls "in your face, but on your side."
He counsels teens on everything they care about, coming across like a stand-up comedian crossed with Dr. Phil. This "in your face, but on your side", style challenges teens to find their own identity and purpose.
Josh was born an orphan and bounced around in many different foster homes, until he discovered how to turn a mess into a message. Learning how life's battles could be won, he strives to pass this knowledge on. His relentless optimism and story of triumph encourage people to think of themselves, and their mistakes as an opportunity to shape the future as they wish to live it.
“I’ve found that sometimes the very thing that has hurt you the most, is the very thing you can use to help others. You can’t change the past -- so why not focus on building an incredible future?” - Josh Shipp
Josh lives in sunny California, is a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month, and a marathon runner.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
December 2, 2017
While I don't think that this is one of the very best books I've ever read, I'll still give it a solid 5-star rating, because I felt that it totally addresses the issues that plague me with my teens. It was really hands on, instead of generic advice on how to communicate with young and angry humans that believe you're the worst. I gained a lot of unexpected tools and useful tips on how to deal with what they throw at me, but the one that I found most suitable for me is the author's advice to have a notebook, where parents and kids can share bits of information about themselves and ask one another questions about topics that they might otherwise never actually discuss in the 12 minutes that statistically parents spend talking face to face with their teens each day. Besides, many topics are more comfortably discussed when not facing the other (and this goes both ways). The section about how to teach them to properly apologize was quite insightful and might be of great use to anyone and not only kids. Last, but not least, I won't panic when I discover that they do drugs (I say this jokingly, because it's something that always "happens to others" - but the truth is that no one knows if someday they won't be those "others", so, prepare for the worst, hope for the best). Highly recommended to anyone who tries to survive these years without permanent psychological trauma for all the people involved.
February 2, 2018
If there was a book that I would recommend to all my friends and family with teenagers, pre-teens and young adults - this would be it. This is such an insightful book, practical, easy to digest information given by a man with a story that is easy to respect and listen to.
I found myself thinking of all those caring adults I was fortunate enough to have in my life - that made my life better by making me feel heard and valued. I want to get better at being that person for my kids and my nieces and nephews.
I found myself thinking of all those caring adults I was fortunate enough to have in my life - that made my life better by making me feel heard and valued. I want to get better at being that person for my kids and my nieces and nephews.
September 25, 2020
Nėra kažkas negirdėto, naujo, bet perskaityti ir pergalvoti reikia, auginantiems paauglius. Geriau pasiruošti kuo ankščiau. Tėvams tikrai kartais prireikia pagalbos, juk visokių vaikų yra, būna ir sunku. 👍
October 21, 2017
Nobody wants to read a bland how-to manual and Josh Shipp delivers with this book- it's funny in all the right places. It gives you practical information, relevant problems you will face with your children, stunningly accurate descriptions of all the times you consider strangling your children, and excellent pep talks as you're standing on the ledge wondering why you even wanted kids in the first place.
Clearly my favorite part of this book is actually part 3: Troubleshooting Common Teenage Challenges. It covers topics like eating disorders, using drugs, sex and sexting, cutting, stress, how to talk to them about sex, or death, and most importantly - WHAT TO DO ABOUT ANY OF THIS. He gives you actual steps on how to handle the situation, what to expect from them, what they need to get from you, and reassures you that even though those brats are snapping fingers and rolling eyes at you- they ARE listening, and they ARE grateful you are giving them rules and boundaries.
Also important? The Teen Cell Phone Contract. Josh even provides the web address of where you can find the teen cell phone contract and customize it to your child(ren). You better believe I've done this with Olivia. He gives you 42 ways to connect with your teenager, as well, and a few of those I'm going to adopt as regular things I do with each kid.
Even better? Josh doesn't leave you hanging- he gives you options to connect with him and learn even more. The best part about this book is not just how it can help you and your child but it also mentions how your relationship could be influential for their friends. How can you be a helpful and loving adult in their lives, too. Some kids don't have that positive force and they seek it out because at the core, teenagers need to be guided. They say they don't and they know exactly what they want, but on the inside they are desperate to be guided down the right path.
I'm going to give this book 5 stars. Seriously. I'm not normally a big fan of non-fiction but I really enjoyed this book because it felt like this was my own therapist telling me what to do, a friend who has already been there telling me what NOT to do, and we're at an age where our kids face challenges we never had so we don't know how to navigate that ourselves. This book covers it all.
Clearly my favorite part of this book is actually part 3: Troubleshooting Common Teenage Challenges. It covers topics like eating disorders, using drugs, sex and sexting, cutting, stress, how to talk to them about sex, or death, and most importantly - WHAT TO DO ABOUT ANY OF THIS. He gives you actual steps on how to handle the situation, what to expect from them, what they need to get from you, and reassures you that even though those brats are snapping fingers and rolling eyes at you- they ARE listening, and they ARE grateful you are giving them rules and boundaries.
Also important? The Teen Cell Phone Contract. Josh even provides the web address of where you can find the teen cell phone contract and customize it to your child(ren). You better believe I've done this with Olivia. He gives you 42 ways to connect with your teenager, as well, and a few of those I'm going to adopt as regular things I do with each kid.
Even better? Josh doesn't leave you hanging- he gives you options to connect with him and learn even more. The best part about this book is not just how it can help you and your child but it also mentions how your relationship could be influential for their friends. How can you be a helpful and loving adult in their lives, too. Some kids don't have that positive force and they seek it out because at the core, teenagers need to be guided. They say they don't and they know exactly what they want, but on the inside they are desperate to be guided down the right path.
I'm going to give this book 5 stars. Seriously. I'm not normally a big fan of non-fiction but I really enjoyed this book because it felt like this was my own therapist telling me what to do, a friend who has already been there telling me what NOT to do, and we're at an age where our kids face challenges we never had so we don't know how to navigate that ourselves. This book covers it all.
September 8, 2018
Aš abejoju, ar ši knyga - šedevras, bet man jos labai reikėjo. Skaičiau įdėmiai, kartais šypteldama, kai kur kaip reikalas pasigraudenau. Velnias žino, ar pasidarė tikrai viskas taip jau aišku, bet atsirado viltis, kad gal viskas bus gerai, tik dar teks pakentėti...
Jei atrodo, kad reikia pagalbos, tai čia būtent ta "knyga-pagalba".
Jei atrodo, kad reikia pagalbos, tai čia būtent ta "knyga-pagalba".
February 6, 2020
Again, another parenting book tells more or the less the same thing: to be a good parent is to be a good person. Want to be a better parent? Check your own baggages first. Unconditional love is not the same as unconditional compliance to your teen's every request. Teens need their parents, but not in the same way as younger kids do. Be a good coach, not a pilot. Be present, don't be afraid to say "No". Encourage communication (don't miss the teachable moment, be tactful when talking to your teen), build trust, do not control your teens but let them build their self-control. Sounds hard? Because it is.
The book has three parts:
Part 1 The Three Key Mindsets
Part 2 The Phases of Teenage Humans
Part 3 Troubleshooting Common Teenage Challenges
The best is undoubtedly Part 3. It covers the most common topics. Here are what I find useful:
1. Sex education. The author emphasizes that sex education is relationship education. It requires continuous discussion, so building an open, honest relationship with your teen is essential. The book contains 16 common questions from teens, including masturbation, consent, STD and contraception. No answers are given and it's up to the parents to be prepared.
2. The danger of sexting. I googled it - in Virginia, sending inappropriate underage photos is illegal even if it is their own picture.
3. Dealing with drugs, self-harm (cutting, suicidal) and other serious issues: no easy approach, prevention is the key. Parents should recognize the early warning signs. Seek professional help early.
4. Why pornography is bad
5. How to deal with the use of technology (social media, smart phones and video games)
The sample Teen Cell Phone contract at the end of the book is great! The 42 ways to ask your teen about their day in school without actually saying "how was your school today" is very useful too.
The book has three parts:
Part 1 The Three Key Mindsets
Part 2 The Phases of Teenage Humans
Part 3 Troubleshooting Common Teenage Challenges
The best is undoubtedly Part 3. It covers the most common topics. Here are what I find useful:
1. Sex education. The author emphasizes that sex education is relationship education. It requires continuous discussion, so building an open, honest relationship with your teen is essential. The book contains 16 common questions from teens, including masturbation, consent, STD and contraception. No answers are given and it's up to the parents to be prepared.
2. The danger of sexting. I googled it - in Virginia, sending inappropriate underage photos is illegal even if it is their own picture.
3. Dealing with drugs, self-harm (cutting, suicidal) and other serious issues: no easy approach, prevention is the key. Parents should recognize the early warning signs. Seek professional help early.
4. Why pornography is bad
5. How to deal with the use of technology (social media, smart phones and video games)
The sample Teen Cell Phone contract at the end of the book is great! The 42 ways to ask your teen about their day in school without actually saying "how was your school today" is very useful too.
March 5, 2020
This was recommended to me by a friend, and I’m glad I read it. There’s a lot that doesn’t (currently) apply to me, but there was a lot of great information. It’s written and organized in a way that I was able to skim through/past the sections that I didn’t need, and focus on the sections that had good information and ideas for me.
It’s always nice to have a little perspective and some different ideas with parenting, and this one delivered that.
I liked that there were plenty of real life scenarios, with hands on/concrete suggestions on how to “Coach” your teenagers through life.
It’s always nice to have a little perspective and some different ideas with parenting, and this one delivered that.
I liked that there were plenty of real life scenarios, with hands on/concrete suggestions on how to “Coach” your teenagers through life.
April 13, 2019
Silpnoka. Vien todėl, kad dauguma “lankytinų vietovių” jau nieko nestebina, nes senokai “aplankytos”, kažin kokių naujų atradimų nesama, o trečdalis knygos apskritai pasikartojimai, perkeltine ir tiesiogine prasmėmis. Jeigu jau pati knyga turi tokį ambicingą pavadinimą ir žada padėti suaugusiems susiorientuoti paauglių pasaulyje, gal ir reikėtų šiek tiek daugiau pasistengti, o ne tik “prabėgti” paviršiumi. Ir visiškai pritrenkia pasiūlymas patarti paaugliui, kuris susiduria su nesąžiningu, nekompetentingu, neprofesionalu mokytoju, priimti nuolankumo poziciją ir nuolat atsiprašinėti, atsiprašinėti ir atsiprašinėti. Gal mes kažkaip ir be šio popierinio GPS surasime takus ir kelius.
May 11, 2019
Probably the best parenting book I've read since Beyond Time Out. Practical strategies for communicating with your teenage child. They aren't cutesy, cloying, or otherwise dumb, just good, usable advice. I have an ARC, and I was going to pass it on, but I pretty quickly decided I'd want to keep it, so I could refer back to it. It's so rare to find a self-help book that actually says "here is specifically what to do if this thing happens."
September 16, 2018
I was looking for a very practical how-to book for specific situations and this book did not disappoint. I’m tired of parenting books that just discuss parenting philosophy with no application. This was just what I was looking for, it even has some templates you can use.
September 26, 2017
Enough practical information that I took notes and am considering purchasing a print copy for myself
April 28, 2023
Well balanced and well structured. Enjoyable read, author is very likeable. The book is written for a USA audience so not everything was relevant to UK, but overall it made me think and I have come away with some useful tips and suggestions.
March 16, 2020
Guidance for parents regardless of the teen, I think this can help everyone in communicating better and building better relationships.
February 26, 2020
This book was so relatable, informational, and applicable that I bought the paperback off of Amazon to keep as a reference. I loved all the quirky jokes thrown in at times by the author. Because let’s be honest- parenting is hard. Parenting teens is emotionally exhausting...laughs are needed!
February 26, 2020
Thank you Josh. I have to learn and imbibe these important strategies
February 18, 2020
(Taken from my audible review)
I had bought this month's ago, and had finally decided to look into it. Really pleasantly surprised with how good this book was. While it certainly contains a plethora of lessons to help raise young adults and teenagers I do think the vast majority could just as easily apply to adults and how we can communicate/interact with each other. It's all compiled smartly and written in a no-nonsense manner which is easy to take in. The narrator again was brilliant, really made you feel like Josh was speaking to you. Would highly recommend this book.
I had bought this month's ago, and had finally decided to look into it. Really pleasantly surprised with how good this book was. While it certainly contains a plethora of lessons to help raise young adults and teenagers I do think the vast majority could just as easily apply to adults and how we can communicate/interact with each other. It's all compiled smartly and written in a no-nonsense manner which is easy to take in. The narrator again was brilliant, really made you feel like Josh was speaking to you. Would highly recommend this book.
April 28, 2025
Išmintingas autorius su puikiais patarimais.
January 29, 2018
“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.
Read more here: http://sarahannecarter.com/grown-ups-...
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.
Read more here: http://sarahannecarter.com/grown-ups-...
February 20, 2020
Great book
As a coach for parents and teens, I found Josh Shipp's perspective so refreshing and insightful. I appreciate his lighthearted approach and also how quickly he can become serious when appropriate. It's quick, easy reading with impact. I would recommend it.
As a coach for parents and teens, I found Josh Shipp's perspective so refreshing and insightful. I appreciate his lighthearted approach and also how quickly he can become serious when appropriate. It's quick, easy reading with impact. I would recommend it.
September 20, 2017
5 out of 5 Stars
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and this is my unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written, well-organized and narrated in a easy to read, conversational format. The author has managed to put together a heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring guide, that actually teaches you how to respond to specific challenges from your teen.
Overall, this book gave me a lot of insight into my teenagers mind, and I plan on trying out a few of the tips offered in the trouble shooting challenges section...Because I'm trying my best to be my daughter's Rodney!
Oh...The only thing I found lacking or missing from this book was, that under the challenges section it didn't discuss one of the biggest problems teens are dealing with today.
Loneliness and Lack of Connection.
Kids aren't forming tight social friendships anymore, and everything is online or thru texts and Apps. I would love to know how to deal with this challenge, and I'm sure I'm not the only parent who feels this way. I really liked the author's style and approach to other topics, and would love to see what he would say about this.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and this is my unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written, well-organized and narrated in a easy to read, conversational format. The author has managed to put together a heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring guide, that actually teaches you how to respond to specific challenges from your teen.
Overall, this book gave me a lot of insight into my teenagers mind, and I plan on trying out a few of the tips offered in the trouble shooting challenges section...Because I'm trying my best to be my daughter's Rodney!
Oh...The only thing I found lacking or missing from this book was, that under the challenges section it didn't discuss one of the biggest problems teens are dealing with today.
Loneliness and Lack of Connection.
Kids aren't forming tight social friendships anymore, and everything is online or thru texts and Apps. I would love to know how to deal with this challenge, and I'm sure I'm not the only parent who feels this way. I really liked the author's style and approach to other topics, and would love to see what he would say about this.
January 3, 2020
Shipp starts this book with a compelling premise: sometimes all it takes to reach/save/anchor a teen is one grown-up who cares. It follows naturally that his next request is for the reader to become that one grown-up. Doesn't matter if your kids are grown, if you've never had kids, if you don't like kids, any adult can reach out and connect with a teen, in order to show them that you care.
Building from these premises, Shipp lays out very practical ways to interpret your teen's needs and help him/her through the struggles of the teenage years. I found this book to be incredibly practical and approachable. Shipp's writing style is wry and potent, and his observations are carefully sourced and honest. This is a book which was lent to me by a friend, but I will soon have a copy of my own to reference for years to come. Really well-written volume.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review!
Building from these premises, Shipp lays out very practical ways to interpret your teen's needs and help him/her through the struggles of the teenage years. I found this book to be incredibly practical and approachable. Shipp's writing style is wry and potent, and his observations are carefully sourced and honest. This is a book which was lent to me by a friend, but I will soon have a copy of my own to reference for years to come. Really well-written volume.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review!
October 16, 2019
Hit and miss
There are some great treasures of knowledge in this book. I especially liked the reminder than even though teens may protest, they really want to spend time with their family. I also like that the focus in this book is on what primary caregivers can do for their children. Yes, it does take a village to raise a child. But there are tools in here which can help struggling parents, who really are the first line of defense for their kids’ well being. With that said, I also think there is a lot of unnecessary filler talk in this book. This may just be a style preference, but I skimmed through many pages until I would get to the practical applications I was looking for. For that reason, and the fact that I didn’t agree with everything in the book, I chose to give it 3 stars.
There are some great treasures of knowledge in this book. I especially liked the reminder than even though teens may protest, they really want to spend time with their family. I also like that the focus in this book is on what primary caregivers can do for their children. Yes, it does take a village to raise a child. But there are tools in here which can help struggling parents, who really are the first line of defense for their kids’ well being. With that said, I also think there is a lot of unnecessary filler talk in this book. This may just be a style preference, but I skimmed through many pages until I would get to the practical applications I was looking for. For that reason, and the fact that I didn’t agree with everything in the book, I chose to give it 3 stars.
October 24, 2017
Good, common-sensical stuff. Nothing ground-breaking..that you really don't already know, and we've been trying to do with the kids since birth....but that pre-adult stage is a bit more difficult. It has some good insights for a parent of any aged child...and a few novel ideas in, not really 'dealing' with older kids, but understanding where they are coming from. It's been a while since we were there....and each generation has it's own set of rules and social norms, but human nature remains the same, and fundamental needs don't really change. Love, trust, respect...all things that go a long way in ANY relationship.
January 3, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and recommended it to lots of other people I know. It is full of information that we might not always think about and it's done in a humorous way. Who wouldn't appreciate some very helpful tips when raising pre-teens through graduation? I said it has lots of humor, but it is also full of very serious issues that we as parents/guardians must deal with and try to protect our kids from. Better to be proactive in real life raising of our precious children that to possibly be faced with dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy. Please pick up this book and at least skim through it to see if there's anything that might could help you and your family.
December 3, 2017
This is the book I've been looking and hoping for for a couple of years now! How lucky to find someone wrote it and published it this year!
Not long, and very approachable, with dry humor throughout, it makes the stages of teenage development clear and then is full of practical guidance for parents. It's organized in a way that makes it easy to go back and find the specific parts I imagine I will want to look at again as issues come up.
I'm an avid library user. I rarely buy books. I will be buying this book.
Not long, and very approachable, with dry humor throughout, it makes the stages of teenage development clear and then is full of practical guidance for parents. It's organized in a way that makes it easy to go back and find the specific parts I imagine I will want to look at again as issues come up.
I'm an avid library user. I rarely buy books. I will be buying this book.
February 27, 2018
This was a fantastic book that explored teen physical, mental, and emotional development from ages 11-19. It even went through each age and detailed what kind of adult presence is needed in the teen’s life at each year. The section on effective communication was so helpful to me—a conflict-averse only child.
The only drawback was a particular section that encouraged parents to take action in ways I think are betraying the privacy of teens. If there haven’t been events that cause adults to lose trust in them, then teens as human beings do have a right to some privacy.
The only drawback was a particular section that encouraged parents to take action in ways I think are betraying the privacy of teens. If there haven’t been events that cause adults to lose trust in them, then teens as human beings do have a right to some privacy.
May 29, 2018
This was just a stellar book. The title is awesome, Josh's writing is full of practical advice but he never sounds pedantic. It was easy to read; in fact, I gobbled it up while highlighting parts for other, busier people to read. I am literally almost to the point of following people around, reading aloud, bc I guess a "how-to" book is not something most people want to read. I will tell you that I am not most people, and I've read tons of parenting books, and this was by far the best. If you have or are going to soon have teenagers, you really should read this.
June 4, 2018
I could see how this book could be helpful - and who knows maybe I will come back to it - maybe my teens haven't hit these stages yet - but at 12&14 - I only found a few sections relevant. Most of the ideas are common sense - communication, understanding, and compassion - but it does give practical tips for making them happen. Also thought it was comical that at the end of each age stage there is a countdown to graduation - reminding you that even though this stage can be hard, it is time that will go so fast.
December 15, 2017
An interesting title for an interesting & thought-provoking book about teenagers. There is so much to be taken from this motivational speaker who had a devastatingly sad childhood himself. The only downside would be the examples & references are Americanised but I’d still highly recommend it to anyone working with teenagers or living with them - lots of very practical, useful advice (not all esoteric or filled with banal psychological theory!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews