Dr. Karyn's Guide To The Teen Years: Understanding and Parenting Your Teenager

Teenagers are unique beings, requiring a whole new parenting approach. Dr. Karyn Gordon, or “dk” as teens call her, knows that approach and has been coaching adolescents and parents for over a decade. She’s a high-demand speaker, an expert on The Mom Show and the go-to teen parenting source for Canadian media. Using her dynamic, pragmatic advice and experience, Dr. Karyn cracks the mysterious code that defines teen behaviour.

A book that stands alone amid other parenting guides, Dr. Karyn’s Guide to the Teen Years is firmly based on what teens actually think, feel and do. Gordon explains the recent research that shows the teen brain is actually different and reveals how this difference radically affects adolescent—and parent—behaviours. Her PARENT keys, seen below, will unlock the secret to a happier, healthier parent–teen relationship.

• Picture: the importance of thinking “big picture” and why parents have to understand what they are hoping to achieve with their teen
• Attitude: identifying a person’s overall attitude towards parenting and how one’s own upbringing and family principles shape it
• Respect: building a healthy sense of respect and self-esteem in your teenager
• Emotion: understanding your teen’s emotional brain—and your own
• Non-Verbal/Verbal Communication: 10 different communication styles and how they affect your relationship
• Teach: how to teach responsibility and develop a balanced structure that reflects your family values

Throughout the book, Gordon advises on central issues, including depression and mental illness, substance abuse, sex and sexual orientation, privacy and independence, friends and peer pressure, trouble with the law, learning styles and school choices, bullying and violence, and step-parenting. Interspersed with case studies and revealing quotes from teens, Dr. Karyn’s Guide to the Teen Years is the guide all parents should read before their child’s 12th birthday.

Dr. Karyn’s Guide to the Teen Years is for parents who:

• have trouble understanding or communicating with their teen
• worry their teen is unhappy
• feel they’re doing too much for their teen
• wish their teen would eat healthier, spend smarter or schedule better
• feel guilty when they say “no”