When Good Kids Do Bad Things - A Survival Guide for Parents of Teenagers

Parenting a pre-teen or teen? Time to "Suck it up, Buttercup." There is no way around the fact that for some parents the teen years mean dealing with Good Kids Doing Bad Things. The bad ranges from those little lies, that one shoplifting episode, loving the wrong guy or gal, to a major problem with drinking and drugging, or suicidal depression. Looking for helpful advice is like thumbing the dictionary hoping you will find a word you need but don't know how to spell. If you are lucky you will stumble on what you need. What can a parent do? Check out the credentials of the advice givers. Most fall into two categories: parents who have raised a child or two or more and therapists who work with disturbed children and their parents. Each offer advice that works some of the time for some parents and some children, but each also falls short for too many parents and too many children. One offers the best of both—Katherine Gordy Levine. Katherine Gordy Levine is not only a certified therapist, former professor, director of mental health crisis teams, and mother of two - over a period of 12 years she was foster parent to almost 400 troubled teenagers. Her wealth of experience is shared with humor and angst in examples throughout this engaging page-turner. Her suggestions are both clinically sound, but also based on practical experience. She knows what works and what does not work. Moreover, she is on the side of all parents. Effect real change in the behavior of your adolescent with the adaptable techniques you'll find in this book.