One look at the sullen girl on the cover of I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff!, and you know you’re dealing with teens. Peter Sheras, Ph.
D., addresses a delicate balance aptly summed up in his book’s subtitle: “How to give your teens the privacy they crave and the guidance they need.” No matter what your relationship with your teen, at some point you’ll have to weigh the matter of ensuring their privacy versus making sure they’re not getting into trouble. Sheras provides excellent advice on how to address this and related subjects, such as how to handle your kids’ secrets, and how and when to confront your teen with any information you might have gleaned. Sheras also gives practical advice about handling such issues as Internet romances and pornography.
We parents often address issues like these by the seat of our pants, so it’s a godsend to have sound advice from an expert. Sheras calls parenting teens “Stage 2 parenting,” explaining that useful methods for younger children no longer work. He advocates several valuable strategies, such as “Listen first, speak second,” and explains how to “stay informed about what your child is up to, without embarrassing or infuriating her and driving her farther underground.” Sheras also acknowledges that it’s normal for teens to have secrets it’s a necessary part of growing up. I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff! is a short, easy-to-read book packed with sensible approaches. I recommend it for any parent of a teen or preteen.
Reading these books makes parenting seem like a snap. Now comes the hard part: laying the books aside and putting the theories into action. Good luck!
