Parenting Adolescents

by Kevin Huggins

Book Overview

The years between 12 and 20 offer parents staggering opportunities to shape their children's spiritual growth and character development. To answer the challenge, parents require strength, hope, confidence, and courage. Huggins offers this support and help to parents who appreciate the complexities of raising teenagers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891095799
• ISBN13: 9780891095798
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Useful Knowledge of Adolescents

I was very satisfied with the knowledge I attained from this book. The author helps explain the undesired actions of adolescents and the motives. As a parent it will take humility to learn from this book because it speak much about the faults parents have. It shows that-- when parents have ulterior motives it can affect their child's actions. The child in return acts out in a way to counteract the parents unjust actions or requirments of the child. Huggins is very effective in giving real life occurences in which he had to deal with as a counselor. It is likely to help any parent realize their faulty method of parenting and their childs reasoning behind his or her actions. It is written with a Christian perspective but I believe anybody (Christian or not) can learn much from this book. I don't believe Huggin's use of the Bible for references were the best for the most part. That is because the Bible mostly wasn't written to talk about what Huggins does. Somehow he get's the biblical references to work though. Also, his use of diagrams were basically pointless. The diagrams didn't help at all because he explained it through words just as effectively as the diagrams did. Despite the over-attempted use of biblical references and ineffectual use of diagrams this book is very insightful. I recommend it to any parent who wished to be more effective in parenting.

For you, not for your teen

As others have said, this is not how to change your teen. This book is for how you need to change for your teen. Kevin starts with the common ground - painful experiences and the good ones - between you and your teenager. From there, he draws out a deliberate route to keep contact with them and to encourage them in the way they should go. Using scriptural principles, he helps to turn the pain into empathy and action.

Simply the Best

Hands down, this is the single best book on parenting teens that I have ever read, and I've read literally hundreds of them. Kevin Huggins writes from the experience of a father of teens, the insight of a youth pastor, the exegesis of a biblical scholar, and the wisdom of a biblical counselor. As other reviewers have noted, don't read "Parenting Adolescents" thinking it is a quick how-to manual. Of course, if you're a parent of an adolescent, you know better. Instead, Huggins offers insight into your soul, insight into your teen's soul, and insight into how to connect soul-to-soul as parent and teen. "Parenting Adolescents" is required reading in the graduate class that I teach on Marriage and Family Counseling. Hundreds of students have reviewed it. Consistently they report that this is not only the best book on parenting teens, but the best book on parenting, period, that they have ever read. So don't let the title fool you. If you are a parent. Get it. If you are a counselor, pastor, or youth pastor, get several copies. Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Soul Physicians" and "Spiritual Friends." He is also the parent of a post-teen (age 20) and of a teen (age 17).

Not a quick fix

If you are looking for a book to quickly change your teen's behavior, pass this one by. It you are committed to do what it takes to produce a mature, responsible, godly adult...then this is the book for you. No formulas or gimmicks! Kevin Huggins encourages parents to look deeply at themselves, their own relationship to God, their own maturity level; to strengthen themselves. Then, from the position of honestly and integrity, parents can guide youths on the right path. THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING!

A Really Usable Guide For Christian Parents - Worked For Me!

If you are a Christian parent of teenager(s), the suggestions in this book are very usable. But be careful, this book will force the Christian parent to deepen their own relationship to Christ, as well as force working involvement with their teenager. I read this book when my first daughter was 15. God used it to effect a wonderful time of spiritual growth in me, as well as effectively change my daughter's mis-directed life. These changes are still apparent 4 years later! I am about to read the book again, as my second daughter is now 12