The Divorce Helpbook for Teens (Rebuilding Books) [Paperback]

Cynthia MacGregor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rebuilding Books | Publication Date: May 2004

The popular author of THE DIVORCE HELPBOOK FOR KIDS is back with an all-new resource for teenagers in divorced and divorcing families. MacGregor knows that divorce can be especially tough on teens, and her warm and friendly guide offers a helping hand to teens struggling to answer the tough questions when their parents divorce: Why do parents get divorced? How will the divorce change our lives? What can I do to feel less depressed? Whom can I talk with about my problems? What’s likely to happen next? How do you tell absent parents that they don’t visit often enough? How do you say "no" to parents who want you to carry messages to, or spy on, the other parent? What is there to talk about when you visit a parent who’s moved away?

Packed with vignettes, strategies, and solid advice, THE DIVORCE HELPBOOK FOR TEENS is a resource teens will keep in their backpacks, on their bedside tables, and in their hearts as they go through the difficult times surrounding a family breakup. As MacGregor wisely counsels her readers: "You can’t undo the divorce, but you can change some of the hassles that resulted from it."

Editorial Reviews

Review

...advises the teenager how to build a support group from among friends, relatives and others. -- Mark Roseman, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Child Access, Children's Rights Council

...how to understand the crazy things parents do when they fall out of love...how to talk...about...changes. -- Hugh R. Leavell, Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapist

From the emotional to the pragmatic aspects of divorce, both [teens and parents] will benefit from these insights. -- Vicki Lansky, Author of DIVORCE BOOK FOR PARENTS and IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, KOKO BEAR

From the Publisher

Books in the Rebuilding Books series "for relationships, divorce and beyond" are written for those going through divorce or rebuilding their lives after divorce. Inspired by the work of renowned divorce therapist, Dr. Bruce Fisher, the Rebuilding Books offer expert information and practical self-help procedures. These straightforward, life-affirming resources can help make the divorce process easier, healthier, and less painful for adults and children, leading to more-fulfilled lives and stronger "second-time" relationships.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: Impact Publishers (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886230579
• ISBN-13: 978-1886230576
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in the suburbs of New York, I moved to the city itself as soon as I was old enough to go out on my own, eventually transplanting myself to South Florida. A part of me had always felt I belonged where the warm tropical breezes shake the palm fronds into beckoning motions. They beckoned, and in 1984 I answered, leaving my beloved NY behind. I've since put down roots a mile long.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember - from back when I first learned to spell t-h-e c-a-t. By age 9, I had written a play (admittedly short and childish, but a play nonetheless), which was put on at summer camp, and there were stories and poems too, some of which were printed in such places as the newsletter of the arts program I took part in, and the local weekly paper in the community where I grew up.

My earliest serious aspiration was to be an actress, and I'm still a ham who loves the limelight, but I traded in my theatrical dreams for the writing life decades ago and have no regrets whatsoever.

I am definitely a glass-half-full person, and there is no one in the world I'd want to trade lives with. My life hasn't always been easy - I'm a cancer survivor and have had additional health issues too, as well as other adversities - but it's been a marvelous ride so far, and I hope it just keeps going and going and going. I jump out of bed each morning (normally at 5 AM), eager to start a new day.

My past includes stints as a theatre reviewer and specialty-newspaper publisher, a lot of freelance editing, and a bit of agenting. My first book wasn't published till 1993, but I've made up for the late start and have had over 50 conventional books and another over-50 ebooks published in the time since then, and I'm still going strong. I have NO plan to EVER retire. I absolutely LOVE what I do. Why would I ever want to stop?

My wish for each of you who reads this is that you find your life as fun and as fulfilling as I do.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parents' Divorce Is Not the Teens' Mess!, June 7, 2004

By 

Cricket in the Corner (Virtual North Woods) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Divorce Helpbook for Teens (Rebuilding Books) (Paperback)

Teen angst compounded by the turmoil of divorcing parents is not a subject for the fainthearted to tackle. But MacGregor's engaging style quickly establishes empathy with this challenging group, offering genuine warmth and reliable advice along with sensitivity to her readers' many vulnerabilities. Her objective is not to function as a single-handed self-help guru; throughout the book she reminds kids to turn to trusted individuals in their lives for additional help. She maintains a thoughtful level of clear-headed reassurance, gently urging teens to think outside their pain and confusion to realize they're not alone. This applies to all aspects of their experience of divorce, which MacGregor keenly understands as a uniquely stressful time for those "too young for childhood soothing and too young for adult stress relievers." She offers age-appropriate comforts, effective ways to fight depression, and reasonable options for regaining the sense of security that divorce shatters.

What I like best about this book, aside from MacGregor's unfailing instinct for zeroing in on issues crucial to teens, is her knack for relating to kids on a warm, nonjudgmental, respectfully informative way. Her attitude of compassionate practicality guides them -- without preaching -- to make wise choices. She counters common erroneous conclusions kids are apt to draw about divorce (I.e., it's their fault Mom and Dad broke up; they can get Mom and Dad back together, etc.), with insightful reality checks that avoid making the reader feel patronized. She's a staunch advocate, defending kids' right to refuse to participate in unfair tactics (like being used as messengers or spies) their divorced parents may resort to. At the same time, she underscores the importance of preserving relationships where possible by meeting each parent halfway.

Smart exercises like keeping a journal help teens in pain to vent and sort out their emotions. MacGregor's goal is to get kids to see that, while they can't undo the divorce, they can avoid many of the resulting hassles. This sense of control is a crucial gift this skilled, empathetic author offers her readers. Know a teen of divorce who's struggling to adjust? This book is a great starting point for clearing hurdles and moving forward.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guide for teenagers dealing with their parents divorce, November 13, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Divorce Helpbook for Teens (Rebuilding Books) (Paperback)

The Divorce Helpbook For Teens is a straightforward guide for teenagers dealing with their parents' divorce. Addressing young people in a plain-terms manner without any condescension, it covers such common questions as why parents get divorced, how divorce changes people's lives, how to say "no" to a parent who wants the child to carry messages to (or spy on) the other parent, what to talk about when visiting a parent who moved away, and more. Examples flesh out the all-too-real dilemmas contemplated, and question-and-answer sessions spell out difficult issues in this highly recommended book for any young adult who must deal with the difficulty of their parents' separation.