ADOLESCENCE

A Guide for Parents

by MICHAEL CARR-GREGG and ERIN SHALE

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New softcover book, 232 pages, first published 2002. With illustrations by Ron Tandberg.

Adolescence is living proof that Mother Nature has a sense of humour - because everything we did to our parents when we were young is repeated by our own children. It can be a confusing time for both you and your child, but despite the worries, it's a wonderful evolution. You are witnessing the birth of a new young person. Enjoy the ride!- Michael Carr-Gregg and Erin Shale

Adolescence has changed. Young people now enter puberty earlier (in many cases, at ten or eleven) and leave home later. What's more, modern society expects children to grow up emotionally all too quickly. The good news is that the skills, knowledge and strategies parents need are clearly explained in Adolescence: A Guide for Parents . In this book, Michael Carr-Gregg and Erin Shale discuss: 

• the three big questions in an adolescent's life: 'Am I normal?', 'Who am I?' and 'What is my place in the world?'
• the increasingly early onset of puberty, and its impact on you and your pre-teen child
• useful approaches for parents and teachers: what good parenting is all about, techniques for communicating well, and knowing how to handle problems before they become crises
• how to deal with serious issues such as depression, suicidal feelings, relationships and emerging sexuality, drugs and eating disorders
• parents' most frequently asked questions
• how to set appropriate, negotiated boundaries 
• how to raise our children to be resilient adults and cope with difficulties in life 
• why the key protective factor for adolescents is a sense of attachment to a significant adult in their lives, and
• how successful parenting is about providing young people with an environment where they feel safe, valued and listened to.

Contents include:

• What is adolescence?
• Early adolescence - 'Am I normal?'
• Middle adolescence - 'Who am I?'
• Late adolescence - 'What is my place in the world?'
• The tasks of adolescence
• the ideal environment for raising an adolescent
• Communication with adolescents
• Relationships, sex and questioning sexuality
• In case of emergency
• Frequently asked questions
• Final words and over to you

About the authors 

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg was educated in Kenya, England, New Zealand and Australia. In 1985, he founded the world's first national teenage cancer patients support group, CanTeen - The Australian Teenage Cancer Patient's Society. Michael has worked in private practice as a family therapist, child psychologist and clinical psychologist, as an academic, researcher and he spent 4 years working as a political lobbyist. Michael is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists. He is the consultant psychologist to many schools and national organisations, an official ambassador for the federal government's youth suicide prevention programs beyondblue and Mindmatters, and the resident psychologist with Channel Nine's Today Show. He has written several books on parenting adolescents and is a columnist for Girlfriend and Australian Doctor magazines. He has won many awards for his work. He is one of Australia's leading authorities on teenage behaviour, and as a practising psychologist specialises in the area of parenting adolescents and adolescent mental health. His other books include Adolescence - A Guide for Parents, The Princess Bitchface Syndrome, Real Wired Child, Surviving Adolescents, Surviving Year 12 and Surviving Step-Families .

Most importantly, Michael is married and has two children, supports Hawthorn in the AFL and South Sydney in the NRL. In 2000, he was the subject of a This Is Your Life program on Channel 9. He works in private practice in Melbourne.

Erin Shale has been a high school careers counsellor for ten years, and is currently responsible for the motivation and guidance of over 1800 students. She teaches Health Education and Personal Development, and is the editor of the anthology Inside Out. Erin is a regular speaker at conferences for teachers, social workers and health professionals

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Adolescence A Guide for Parents by Michael Carr-Gregg and Erin Shale