The Stranger In Your House

We all know that as teens grow and mature, they become different then the children we have seen growing up beside us through the years of watching them grow into adults. But how do you know what is normal and what should cause you some concern as a parent of teens, whether your own or simply teens you may be involved with. When does a parent need to intervene and possibly seek professional help?

In the latest book, When Your Teenager Becomes...The Stranger In Your House by Gregory L. Jantz, Phd, along with Ann McMurray, and being a parent of both an 18 year old and a 12 year old, I knew I had to pick this one up. There is such insight into parenting for teens and preteens alike I had never considered and keeping the thoughts of "well, I remember when I was a teen..." just don't cut it raising them today.

In today's generation of teens, there is so much more influencing them than ever before and that's why we can't parent them the same as we think they should be if we expect them to grow into the adults we hope to be proud of. Some of the topics you will find handy include the following:

Why does my teenager seem to need me some days and hate me other days?

How do hormones affect my teen's behavior - and what can I do about it?

Is this "just a phase," or is it clinical depression?

How can I get help when I see the warning signs of suicidal thoughts?

How can I be a source of peace in my child's life, especially when I feel stormy too?

This book will help you as a parent to see beyond the closed-room years of adolescence and open the door to hope.

My favorite chapter was on what's called shedding skin. When a snake or lizard sheds its skin, the new growing skin cells separate from the old established skin cells, causing a marked change of appearance and producing an irritability that can result in increased snapping and hissing. Of course, reptiles shed their skin relatively quickly, so the analogy doesn't carry too far. Still, I think it's fairly parallel. Your teenager's nascent adult is separating from the confinement of childhood, causing a marked change in appearance and producing an irritability that can result in increased snapping and hissing. I think it's why teens often feel like their skin in crawling and fight against a sensation of being confined, wanting to burst free. And it's why parents often look at their teens as though they're something that just crawled out from under a rock. It even gives the reader what signs to look for and what to be concerned with.

I received this book compliments of B & B Media Group and David C. Cook publishers for my honest review and really think that anyone who interacts with teens or has teens as a parent, need to pick up this wonderful and insightful resource. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and will be referring to this one often as a reminder, I am not crazy and these things are normal. It also stands as a resource to know when to look further into situations that my kids are involved with when it comes to their friends as well.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

The Stranger In Your House by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD with Ann McMurray

You can also visit a Place of Hope for other teen issues.