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Behind Closed Doors: A Guide to Help Parents and Teens Navigate Through Life’s Toughest Issues
Behind Closed Doors is a practical guide for parents guiding their tweens and teens through cultural change and modern-day health threats. Jessica Peck, a pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, helps parents escape the secrecy and shame surrounding challenging moments and find freedom in honest conversations grounded in faith in Christ.
There are many jokes about the difficulties of raising a teenager, but beneath these jokes parents are hurting and feeling helpless while their teens are navigating extraordinary cultural challenges unlike anything faced by previous generations. Teens are feeling more isolated, anxious, and depressed. But how can we help them effectively navigate social challenges when we don't have the social skills to communicate authentically with dignity and compassion? How do we create safe spaces in a seemingly unsafe world?
Jessica Peck (DNP, APRN) has spent countless hours advising and encouraging parents after talking to their teens behind closed doors. In the privacy of her exam room, she has treated teens with mental illnesses, responded to suicide attempts, treated self-harm wounds as well as the emotional trauma of cyberbullying, sexting, pornography addictions, and numerous other issues. Through it all, Jessica found that teens really want to talk to their parents, so they don't have to face these challenges alone.
Jessica seeks to move the private conversations that happen in the clinic to relationship-building conversations at home. Behind Closed Doors is a guided lifeline to help parents assess their teen's emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and to ultimately help them strengthen their connection with their kids. She has divided her book into three sections:
Behind the Clinic Door: professional advice for parents on tough teenage issues from a health impact lens, sharing true stories of patients.
Behind the Home Door: suggested settings, activities, and question prompts to give parents conversation keys to unlock doors for open dialogue with their teens on tough issues and meet them at their point of need.
Behind the Heart Door: a time of reflection and spiritual application for parents to explore devotional readings, relevant Bible verses, Scripture-based prayers for parents, themed Christian music playlists, and prompts to write 12 Legacy Letters, a generational keepsake for teens.
Jessica shares her personal story of broken family relationships, challenges she's faced raising her teens without guidance from her own parents, and lessons learned along the way—personal and professional; good and bad; mundane and miraculous. Covering topics including mental health, social media, suicide, sexting, substance abuse, gender identity, and more, Jessica Peck's book will encourage and strengthen all parents—married, single, or divorced; grandparents, stepparents, godparents, bonus parents, adopted parents—anyone who is serving a parental role in a teen's life.
There are many jokes about the difficulties of raising a teenager, but beneath these jokes parents are hurting and feeling helpless while their teens are navigating extraordinary cultural challenges unlike anything faced by previous generations. Teens are feeling more isolated, anxious, and depressed. But how can we help them effectively navigate social challenges when we don't have the social skills to communicate authentically with dignity and compassion? How do we create safe spaces in a seemingly unsafe world?
Jessica Peck (DNP, APRN) has spent countless hours advising and encouraging parents after talking to their teens behind closed doors. In the privacy of her exam room, she has treated teens with mental illnesses, responded to suicide attempts, treated self-harm wounds as well as the emotional trauma of cyberbullying, sexting, pornography addictions, and numerous other issues. Through it all, Jessica found that teens really want to talk to their parents, so they don't have to face these challenges alone.
Jessica seeks to move the private conversations that happen in the clinic to relationship-building conversations at home. Behind Closed Doors is a guided lifeline to help parents assess their teen's emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and to ultimately help them strengthen their connection with their kids. She has divided her book into three sections:
Behind the Clinic Door: professional advice for parents on tough teenage issues from a health impact lens, sharing true stories of patients.
Behind the Home Door: suggested settings, activities, and question prompts to give parents conversation keys to unlock doors for open dialogue with their teens on tough issues and meet them at their point of need.
Behind the Heart Door: a time of reflection and spiritual application for parents to explore devotional readings, relevant Bible verses, Scripture-based prayers for parents, themed Christian music playlists, and prompts to write 12 Legacy Letters, a generational keepsake for teens.
Jessica shares her personal story of broken family relationships, challenges she's faced raising her teens without guidance from her own parents, and lessons learned along the way—personal and professional; good and bad; mundane and miraculous. Covering topics including mental health, social media, suicide, sexting, substance abuse, gender identity, and more, Jessica Peck's book will encourage and strengthen all parents—married, single, or divorced; grandparents, stepparents, godparents, bonus parents, adopted parents—anyone who is serving a parental role in a teen's life.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 19, 2023
4.5
My kids are in their twenties now, but as I read through this book I still found myself making notes and putting in numerous tabs. I see how much more stress and anxiety my kids carry around with them - not only because of social media access but also because of the ever-changing cultural issues they face. Parents need to be involved and aware of what is going on in their kids’ lives. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Thank you @tlcbooktours @thomasnelson and @dr.nurse.mama for a spot on tour and a gifted book.
My kids are in their twenties now, but as I read through this book I still found myself making notes and putting in numerous tabs. I see how much more stress and anxiety my kids carry around with them - not only because of social media access but also because of the ever-changing cultural issues they face. Parents need to be involved and aware of what is going on in their kids’ lives. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Thank you @tlcbooktours @thomasnelson and @dr.nurse.mama for a spot on tour and a gifted book.
October 19, 2022
Jessica Peck's guidance in "Behind Closed Doors" helps us shift from the shame of what's happening in our families to truly being equipped to walk in the light. Instead of hiding and ignoring the darkness that seems to seep into the lives of our teenage kids, she welcomes us to face what's happening and gives us practical tips with scripts to reclaim a presence in their lives.
No topic is off-limits! She walks us through mental health, social media, cyberbullying, suicide, vaping, substance abuse, divorce, sex and sexting, pornography, social justice, gender identity, and eating disorders. I found myself nodding, "yes, yes," over and over at each chapter.
I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK WHEN MY TWO WERE TEENAGERS, but I know Peck's wisdom and guidance will still benefit how I communicate with my adult kids, and we'll all be better for it!
This book is for ALL parents. If yours are little, you'll want this wisdom just around the corner; if you're in the throws of parenting teenagers, you know you need assistance; and if your children have already left the nest, your communication skills can be improved.
Thank you, Jessica Peck, for the incredible gift of knowledge and guidance! Well done!
No topic is off-limits! She walks us through mental health, social media, cyberbullying, suicide, vaping, substance abuse, divorce, sex and sexting, pornography, social justice, gender identity, and eating disorders. I found myself nodding, "yes, yes," over and over at each chapter.
I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK WHEN MY TWO WERE TEENAGERS, but I know Peck's wisdom and guidance will still benefit how I communicate with my adult kids, and we'll all be better for it!
This book is for ALL parents. If yours are little, you'll want this wisdom just around the corner; if you're in the throws of parenting teenagers, you know you need assistance; and if your children have already left the nest, your communication skills can be improved.
Thank you, Jessica Peck, for the incredible gift of knowledge and guidance! Well done!
September 5, 2022
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: A GUIDE TO HELP PARENTS AND TEENS NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE'S TOUGHEST ISSUES.
BY: JESSICA L. PECK
I requested this parenting guide, because my two sons are fairly new 24 and 21 years old. As a mother of young "ADULT" children, they are both the loves of my life. That being said, they are both very private about their personal lives, which I totally respect. They were both super easy to raise. They were both easy going and never got in trouble. I never had cause to punish them either because they were very well behaved. I was curious to read this because I was looking for conversational prompts to generate more open dialogue.
Some of the content was shocking. The Author is a nurse practitioner in Pediatrics, so she is up to date on most issues that are discussed. I was taken for granted that I knew most things having to do with both of my sons teenage years. I left the sex education up to my husband who automatically performed his duties. Statistics that she mentioned having to do with most teens being exposed to certain things that I never dreamed my two sons thought about were shockingly high. She talks about pornography, sexting, gender identity, racism, eating disorders and probably a few that I left out. Oh I forgot social media and suicide.
I found that my two sons always had a great male and easy going pediatrician. Their access to great health care is a resource that she mentions, which is one that we provided. I can't imagine them having gone through themselves, most of the issues that she raises. I always have told them and still do that I love them all of the time. She has four children of her own and she raises the point of making a safe environment of the parents for the teen to feel that they won't get shamed if they talk about these issues with their parents'. I was pretty much an easy going parent and I think that my two sons know that they can speak openly to me about anything and I will most always be positive. I think that if I follow her statistics, that maybe I didn't know everything that went on with my two sons'. My husband would have told me if they mentioned any of the behaviors that she mentioned to him.
I am not saying "Not my child," either. Maybe things have changed in today's world that are more prevalent than they were. At any rate, I doubt that at my sons current ages that these are things that they would bring up in a conversation to me. You never know. I knew most of the suggestions that she made, already. I will be prepared either way having read this to keep an open mind and as always be the kind of mother that listens more than always talking. I am still glad that I read this even though it was not what I was expecting. Maybe I will get a chance to help others who are not my children using some of her suggestions.
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Thank you to Net Galley, Jessica L. Peck and Thomas Nelson--W Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#BehindClosedDoors ##JessicaLPeck #ThomasNelsonWPublishing #NetGalley
BY: JESSICA L. PECK
I requested this parenting guide, because my two sons are fairly new 24 and 21 years old. As a mother of young "ADULT" children, they are both the loves of my life. That being said, they are both very private about their personal lives, which I totally respect. They were both super easy to raise. They were both easy going and never got in trouble. I never had cause to punish them either because they were very well behaved. I was curious to read this because I was looking for conversational prompts to generate more open dialogue.
Some of the content was shocking. The Author is a nurse practitioner in Pediatrics, so she is up to date on most issues that are discussed. I was taken for granted that I knew most things having to do with both of my sons teenage years. I left the sex education up to my husband who automatically performed his duties. Statistics that she mentioned having to do with most teens being exposed to certain things that I never dreamed my two sons thought about were shockingly high. She talks about pornography, sexting, gender identity, racism, eating disorders and probably a few that I left out. Oh I forgot social media and suicide.
I found that my two sons always had a great male and easy going pediatrician. Their access to great health care is a resource that she mentions, which is one that we provided. I can't imagine them having gone through themselves, most of the issues that she raises. I always have told them and still do that I love them all of the time. She has four children of her own and she raises the point of making a safe environment of the parents for the teen to feel that they won't get shamed if they talk about these issues with their parents'. I was pretty much an easy going parent and I think that my two sons know that they can speak openly to me about anything and I will most always be positive. I think that if I follow her statistics, that maybe I didn't know everything that went on with my two sons'. My husband would have told me if they mentioned any of the behaviors that she mentioned to him.
I am not saying "Not my child," either. Maybe things have changed in today's world that are more prevalent than they were. At any rate, I doubt that at my sons current ages that these are things that they would bring up in a conversation to me. You never know. I knew most of the suggestions that she made, already. I will be prepared either way having read this to keep an open mind and as always be the kind of mother that listens more than always talking. I am still glad that I read this even though it was not what I was expecting. Maybe I will get a chance to help others who are not my children using some of her suggestions.
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Thank you to Net Galley, Jessica L. Peck and Thomas Nelson--W Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#BehindClosedDoors ##JessicaLPeck #ThomasNelsonWPublishing #NetGalley
December 18, 2022
Parenting has always been a difficult job. However, teens and parents today have so many more difficult topics to tackle, especially with the introduction of social media. In this book, Behind Closed Doors, Jessica Peck, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and mother, attempts to explain how to tackle tough topics with teens. Some of the most difficult topics that teens (and parents) face today are presented including: cyberbullying, sexting, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. These issues are presented through vignettes with activities, questions, and devotional readings supplied in order to facilitate open communication with your teen. This book is an interesting read for anyone that provides advice to teens. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 1, 2022
Time is not on our side, and intentional parenting is necessary, especially with teenagers! If you are parenting a teen and looking for hope while you walk through this challenging season, this book is for you. It's filled with relationship-building and Gospel-centered parenting tips to encourage and strengthen you as a parent. Dr. Jessica L. Peck discusses tough topics like mental health, social media, cyberbullying, suicide, vaping, substance abuse, divorce, sex and sexting, pornography, social justice, gender identity, and eating disorders. If you're struggling to find ways to navigate conversations through these topics with your teen, this book will help guide you with foundational knowledge and Godly advice to parent your teenagers in an otherwise ungodly world.
September 25, 2024
Oh my goodness, this book is an incredible resource for ANY parent with tweens and teens. Peck gets into the nitty gritty of topics that are often difficult for parents to broach with their kids. I love the Christian perspective that she pulls into her coaching (because that is how this book feels -- a coach for parents to navigate these tough topics). But though she pulls in that perspective, it is not preachy and she doesn't gloss over anything for fear that it may be inappropriate. Not at all. She hits everything full on and it is a breath of fresh air!! I recommend this book as a purchased hard copy so you can mark it and refer to it whenever needed.
December 2, 2022
Super helpful guide with info and specific conversation “doors” followed by questions to ask so we can have the hard but crucial convos with our kids. If there’s a handbook for parenting teens, this might be it. There’s definitely a Christian perspective, but it’s clearly set off at the end of every chapter. This atheist mostly skipped those parts (though I did see some value in some of the suggestions). The meat of the book is nonsecular and soundly rooted in the author’s background as a healthcare professional and academic.
February 16, 2023
Behind Closed Doors: A Guide to Help Parents and Teens Navigate Through Life’s Toughest Issues by Jessica L. Peck is an important book that all parents should read. The author claims to deal with the difficult issues and I think she did just that. She takes the most difficult issues and specifically details how to deal with them. Her writing is empowering and full of hope. These issues are too critical to leave our children to deal with them on their own. Great book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.
October 20, 2022
I absolutely love this book!! It is for any parents with teens or littles that will be teens. The book is laid out in a clear and concise way. It is easy to take the keys and apply them to your life. Her real life stories connect you. You feel validated knowing you aren’t the only parent in the world going through stuff. Definitely buy and read!!
December 29, 2022
It’s hard to strike a balance between therapy & theology ideas at times. This book puts faith in center focus, but gives practical talking points and steps to addressing very tough issues with teens. I listened on audio, but plan to buy a paper copy to go through the ideas at a slower pace.
November 11, 2022
This book has been so eye opening and could be for those out there struggling with mental health or know someone who is. This book teaches others about mental health and how to help others with it.
January 1, 2023
A must read for any parent with preteens, tweens and teens.
May 26, 2024
“We need new social skills to parent effectively in a social media, social distancing, and social justice world.”
My kids are definitely growing up in a different time than I did, so this book provided helpful conversation starters to discuss tough topics with teens.
Written by a pediatric nurse practitioner, it is filled with stories from her clinic along with stories from parenting her own teens, which made it practical and helpful.
Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Read if you like:
Parenting books
Creating safe space for your teens to talk
Ideas for how to connect with your teen
My kids are definitely growing up in a different time than I did, so this book provided helpful conversation starters to discuss tough topics with teens.
Written by a pediatric nurse practitioner, it is filled with stories from her clinic along with stories from parenting her own teens, which made it practical and helpful.
Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Read if you like:
Parenting books
Creating safe space for your teens to talk
Ideas for how to connect with your teen
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews