How to Talk to Teens about Really Important Things: Specific Questions and Answers and Useful Things to Say

A look at this book's table of contents is alarming--it must be bleak to come of age these days, when concerns can be tidily alphabetized from Alcohol and Driving to Violence. But veteran parent-guide authors Schaefer, a psychologist, and DiGeronimo know how to push the right buttons. They steadily work their way through every issue that has hit the headlines in the last five years; whether the topic is young women who give birth during the prom and abandon their babies in the bathroom, cults or gangs, it's covered here. Almost lost behind these sensational topics--which, while worrisome, actually affect a small number of teens--is useful information about more common concerns. Alcohol and driving, divorce, prejudice, safety on the Internet and more are discussed in short chapters. And because the authors believe informed parents are more effective, they conclude each chapter with a list of references for further research. Useful strategies, such as the fine art of making your point indirectly and getting your kids to talk, are included, along with well-written dialogues that actually sound plausible. While there's nothing earth-shattering here--mostly commonsense information readily available elsewhere--readers will be grateful for the convenience of having varied information gathered into a single volume. (Apr.)