Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind

It's all starting to make sense now, the irrational ravings of my 12 year old are actually quite normal. Seriously, I have completely changed my approach on many issues after reading this book; I even had to face many of my own demons and start to process for the first time in my life the effect my adolescence has had on me. Highly recommended!

Bradley's book made me think about how I teach, as well as how I might parent someday. It's helpful to be reminded that my 8th grade students are simply not capable of some of the responsibility I expect from them, which doesn't mean that I can't guide them towards it. This book also made me think about how I can work to help parents work with their children, rather than sometimes setting myself up in opposition to parents I disagree with. It shows how paramount the parent-child relationship is, and made me want to support that relationship however I can.

"This book covered a lot of topics with teenagers. (Not all of which were essential to why I picked up this book, but I did read most of them anyway.) The information is presented in an informal and non-threatening way, along with many "real life" situations from patients of Dr. Bradley's. I found the "Do's" and "Dont's" lists particulary helpful - short, sweet and to the point. I thought it was very interesting that Dr. Bradley included topics such as "how to get your kid to therapy if you need to", as well as a list of what drugs kids have available today, and what side effects you could look for if you suspected use.

Typically the reoccuring mantra was to keep your head, even if you have to be a doormat, and you'll get through it show more because at some point this roller coaster does stop (duh.) I found his tone a bit condescending at times (as in "get our your highlighter, you're going to use it a lot in this part") but overall it wasn't preachy.

Think of this book as a "training manual." While I'm not a fan of self-help books particularly, one sentence he wrote at the beginning stuck with me - "If you didn't give a damn, you wouldn't be reading this book."". show less

This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to have a baby, has a baby, has a little kid or teenager. Teachers should read it, parents should read it, maybe even the kids should read it. If you need to figure out what's going on in a particular kid's life, this book has lots of insights into the teenage brain.

Has helped me quite a bit. Just keep telling myself, this person is crazy, their brain has not fully developed yet. Will purchase my own copy

Buy this as you are heading with teens into "those" years. You'll feel much more sane, and you will even feel a lot more human. Laughing at the phases is much better than weeping!

parenting, teenagers,