ENDORSEMENTS​

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"My boyfriend asked me why I would help with this book when I wasn’t being paid for it. Because I wish my mom and dad had a book on how to listen to me when I was a teenager. I’m a few years out of my teenage-hood, but I do remember how frustrating it was to try to explain my life to someone and not be able to finish or clarify or re-explain my thoughts and feelings. I have a 17-year-old brother and catch myself brushing off his concerns and worries as needless and exaggerated. Teenagers rarely have life-or-death problems, right? Well, unfortunately, teenagers are having more pressures put on their shoulders at younger ages. What other generation had to deal with even thinking about school shootings!! Previously manageable problems can become life-threatening. Ask any teenager—I’ll bet each one knows someone who has talked about suicide and they definitely know someone on anti-depressants.

 

But the battle between teenagers and adults has been waged since “teenager” was first coined. The difference now is we have the “me” generation of parents raising the “me” generation of teenagers, and both think they know it all. Teenagers need to be taught to be good adults, but the only way to do so is to first understand who they are as individuals, who they want to be and how they want to get there. 

 

Parents, you have to listen. Most of the time, there is nothing you can do except give your son or daughter a hug and say you understand, share a similar story, and reassure her that things will work out. I spent years teaching myself that the world would not end if I made a mistake. It resulted in a tattoo on my hip of the sun, and each morning as I get dressed I remind myself, “No matter what happens today the sun will still rise tomorrow.”

 

I assisted with this book because I think parents could use a cold little splash of reality. Reading through these pages, I hope parents think, 'Oh my goodness! But they don’t need to worry about that.' For whatever reason, teens do—now keep reading and listen to your own teen to learn what you can do about it."

 

Kimberly