The Teen Whisperer - is he all he's cracked up to be?

Yes, yes, he is. 

Written by Mike Linderman, this book was honest, forthright and compelling.  Linderman has a straightforward style, with no sugar coating and definitely no superiority complex that so many self help authors exhibit.  I have a normal relationship with my teens - which means that it's often rocky and unsettled, and then we revert to best friends.  Peppered with true life stories, I couldn't put this book down.  Did you know that 95% of all discipline problems in children have their roots in a child's attempt to achieve power?  Me neither.  Lightbulb moment #1.

At first, I found this statement hard to believe: "What parents might find surprising is that the one group their kids want most to belong to is their family."  Thinking back on my own teenage years, I was humbled to discover that he was correct.  Sometimes, being a parent means remembering your long lost teenage years.  Lightbulb moment #2.

"Just because you screwed up doesn't mean you ARE a screwup."  Lightbulb moment #3.

Linderman's book is broken into four parts - an introduction to him and who he is, The Five Primary Needs of Your Teen, When Teen's Needs Aren't Being Met, and Developing the Right Approach.  He states right in the beginning that no two children are the same and his approach reflects that.  He learned his lessons the hard way - by working with more than 25,000 troubled youth. 

I literally couldn't put his book down.  I'd recommend any parent of a preteen or teen, troubled or not, get this book and devote as much time as possible to improving their relationship.