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STOP the Rollercoaster
Solutions for The Troublesome Teenage Years, May 27, 2004
Sue Blaney has turned her real-life experience and research
into an action plan. When her oldest child was in junior high,
she met with six other Acton, MA women and together they created
a discussion/learning group to encourage support and to examine
issues they were facing with their teens.
Please Stop the Rollercoaster is an excellent choice for
parents who want to minimize their stress and gain insight from
experts and real-life parents. If parenting is the most
important job a parent can ever have and life is a school, then
this is a textbook for "how to survive the teenage
years."
The contents include:
Why You Need a Parenting Program
How To Use This Guide
Adolescent Development
Parenting: Our Changing Roles and Relationships
Improving Communication
Friends, Culture, and Risk Behavior
Personality Type and Brain Development
Personality Type and Brain Development
School, Parental Support, and Self-Esteem
The Myth of Perfection
Reflections
Each section has quotes, exercises, issues to examine and
discuss, take-aways (identify what you have learned and what was
relevant to you), and a "window" into the adolescent
world (quotes from teenagers.) There is also additional support
through a website listed in the book.
In the first chapter, Adolescent Development, we find a brief
discussion about how a teenager is changing dramatically. This
is followed by a question and then there is room for you to note
changes you are observing. After turning the page you will find
an "overview and objectives" section. This tells you
what you will be learning in the chapter and this is followed by
a page of instructions like: "Complete the letter/vision
exercise on page 12." This is then followed by an
informative section on "a view of adolescence."
Finally, here is a section called: "A Glimpse into Their
World." There are quotes from teenagers and lots of quotes
from various books you might also want to read if you have time.
"Don't worry so much if you don't have the answer to a
question I may have. Just keep helping me find the
answers." ~Charlene, 17
The first chapter deals with physical and cognitive
development, self-discovery and identity, development and
gender, mood swings, spirituality, ethnicity, conscience and
fears.
Then, last but not least... there is a section called: Issues
to Examine and Discuss and the Take-Aways section.
So, this is pretty comprehensive and the author takes this
subject very seriously all while presenting the topics in an
enjoyable fashion. You will also find humorous comic strips
sprinkled throughout the book.
If you are trying to talk to your kids about various issues,
like alcohol and drugs, there are informative sections that give
the facts. This book does not judge or give "rules"
for parenting. It presents the facts and then asks you to fill
in your ideas. For example, "What is your stand on teen
drinking?" There is some pretty interesting information on
what teenagers think about sexual activity. You probably did
hear some of this in the news. Wouldn't you rather warn your
teenagers about date rape drugs and other situations before they
occur? This book makes perfect sense.
Chapter 5 was quite a fun read for me with my interest in
psychology. It deals with personality type and brain
development. There are tests you can take online, but this book
gives a good section that will allow you to quickly analyze
yourself or a teens personality. It is interesting how my best
friends are actually the same personality type as I am. This was
all very enlightening. It might also help you figure out
eveyone's personality and it just fascinating. I had a good
laugh when reading about my own personality. Imagine the fun you
can have with this chapter.
Since School is such the important topic, an entire chapter
is devoted to School, Parental Support and Self-Esteem. You will
find info on the Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences
(musical intelligence vs. linguistic intelligence, etc.), how
your teen can improve their grades, self-esteem and many more
pertinent issues.
Wow, this is one interesting book. I'm very impressed. You
will not only understand your teen, you will start to even
understand yourself in a deeper way. Sue Blaney has created a
gift for parents that will enable them to deal with the main
issues of the teenage years.
Highly Recommended!
~The Rebecca Review
You Don't Have to Learn
Everything the Hard Way: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
You Don't Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way
Heart-to-Heart
Talk , November 7, 2004
Decide for yourself the kind of life you want. You have to live
your own adventure in life, but you don't have to reinvent the
wheel. ~Aunt Laya
Aunt Laya Saul has finally written the book she wishes someone
had written for her when she was a teenager. Not only did she
make painful mistakes, she learned a great deal in the process.
Through her own journey to adulthood, she learned how to
recognize opportunities and avoid dangers.
All the topics are divided into small chapters so this book is
very easy to read and many of the chapters are two to three
pages. She discusses how each of us has challenges and gifts and
how we can plug into our intuition and trust our instincts. She
also covers topics like:
Defining Boundaries
Gaining a New Perspective
Expecting the Unexpected
Choices that Change Your Life
Dealing with Failure and Regret
Pain and Suffering as Part of Living
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Preventing Abuse
Life and Death
You and the World
Relationships
Family and Friends
Forgiveness
Live Your Dreams
Aunt Laya Saul has a true love for quotes and this book is
filled with inspirational moments, stories and wisdom gained
from experience and reading. She has a talent for taking
difficult issues and making the solutions seem very logical and
desirable. Aunt Laya is on your side and she quickly summarizes
each issue and then presents the negative and positive results
of each choice you could make. The index is well organized and
you can quickly locate issues like peace, compassion, anxiety,
frustration, love, jealousy and many others.
Through reading this book you can avoid dangerous situations and
learn how to nurture healthy relationships. I liked her ideas
about replacing fear with excitement and how to approach change
one breath at a time. "You Don't Have to Learn Everything
the Hard Way" is a encouraging book that can be enjoyed by
teenagers and adults of any age. These are issues that follow us
throughout our lives. There are also notes about additional
reading materials and resources, which would be of interest to
anyone working with teens. Highly recommended for parents to
give to their teens because this book could also provide a way
to exchange life-changing information and give parents and teens
the opportunity to see both sides of the issues.
~The Rebecca Review
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