Blog Book Tour and Give Away!

I was recently invited to participate in a Blog Book Tour for the book: For Parents Only by Shanti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice. It is an enjoyable read full of thought provoking questions (and answers) for parents of teenagers. I liked that this book is more a peek into the mind of the average teenager - not so much a user manual to teens.

I have two copies to give away to you! If you are interested, just leave me a comment or email me at wbarrm @ yahoo dot com (remove the spaces and change dot to a .) I will blindfold myself, and throw darts draw two of your names out of the goblet of fire a hat to select the lucky winners. Winners will be announced on Friday, January 25th!

I love parenting books but as Hannah (thirTEEN!!!) has gotten older I've noticed something - my local library has shelves and shelves of parenting books for babies and potty training and toddlers, but the selection of books for parents of teenagers is very slim. I was excited to read this book because it has a hopeful message - our kids need us, even when they think they don't, and our kids really do love us, even when they don't show it!

As I was reading For Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice, I often found myself nodding my head in agreement. At other times I had to run and ask Hannah, "Do you really feel like that?"

I enjoyed finding that I'm not alone in being baffled by my teen:

Did you know that freedom is often the biggest motivator for teens? "They will do anything to get it and they are terrified to think of losing it." (p.15)

And did you know the "No Freaking Out!" rule? Apparently in the mind of teenagers it is perfectly okay for a teenager to go berserk, but they are counting on their parents to keep the boat steady - no overreacting by parents allowed. And pretty much anything a parent does can be considered freaking out! I liked this explanation from a kid:

"Freaking out is any strong emotion. You can even freak out about good things. Kids are not going to say to their parents, ' You are now being overly expressive about this situation.' We'll say, 'Stop freaking out.'" (p122)

Note to self: learn how to be that "oasis of calm in the midst of emotional storms."

If you have a teenager or will have a teenager or work with teenagers I think you would enjoy this book. So leave a comment and enter my drawing to win a free book! If you don't win, you can always find For Parents Only for sale here.



And here's the official summary and author bios.

Book: For Parents Only
Author: Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice

Summary:

Shaunti Feldhahn is known for unlocking the mysteries of relationships for men and women. Now she turns to a parent’s relationship with a child, particularly a child of the opposite sex. Drawing on the results of a nationwide survey of kids and teenagers, she explores questions such as:

What do moms need to understand about the “tough and tender” boy who values respect over love?

What do dads need to understand about their daughter’s need for affirmation?

What are the six biggest pet peeves teens have about their parents?

Understanding the answers to these and other important questions can help parents make the holidays a time of celebration and unity, not strife and friction.


For Parents Only offers a unique look into a child’s mind and frees readers to communicate in healthier ways as they discover that understanding their kids may not be as complicated as they think.

Author Bio:

Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of For Women Only and numerous other books, with sales totaling nearly one million copies. A nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and public speaker, Feldhahn earned her master’s degree at Harvard University . She and her husband, Jeff, have two young children. Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother of two teenage girls, and a screenwriter and producer.