Customer Reviews

How to Say It to Teens: Talking about the Most Important Topics of Their Lives

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Have you stood there one too many times with your mouth open, speechless, unable to communicate with your teenager? Tired of hearing lame responses spew out of your mouth?

Once you read "How To Say It To Teens", you'll be able to say "it" and sound like a genius. "It" encompasses 88 crucial topics (from A to V!) that affect most kids as they pass through junior high, high school and college. From anger and appearance, dating and discipline, to stress and studying, values and violence, Richard Heyman spells out what to say and, equally important, what not to say to your teenager.

After reading his book, you'll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to have a conversation with your son or daughter. The next time they crank up their stereo so loud that the windows are reverberating, you bang on their bedroom door and, when the door swings open, you will be thinking, "Turn that [music] down now! Your music stinks! This is my house!" But, instead, you might find yourself shouting (politely, of course, to be heard above the pounding bass), "I'm sure you didn't mean to play your music so loud that it bothers everyone else. How about turning it down a little or listening with your headphones?" It could happen, you know. And your teen might even yell back (politely, of course, to be heard above the pounding bass), "Sorry. I didn't mean to play it so loud. I'll turn it down right away!" Now try the 87 other topics. You'll love this book. I wouldn't say "it" unless I meant "it".

Dr. Heyman's book is packed with useful advice on how to deal with nearly every parent-teen issue, from sex to drugs. alcohol and body jewellery. I found almost all the chapters to be helpful. Most of all, though, I admired the author's deep humanity, and his insistence that as long as love endures, and parents communicate that love to their children, there is hope even when problems seem very grave. Dr. Heyman's recounting of the difficult teenage years of one of his own children is touching and beautifully written.This is a remarkable book that rises far above its genre.

The author did a wonderful job of explaining how to communicate to your teen by discussing the 5 principles of communicaiton which inculdes a parent-teenager communication skills self-inventory. For each topic, it begins with a scenario, gives suggesstions on things to consider, 3 things you must do, What to say and do, Words and phrases to use, What not to say, and Words and phrases to avoid. There are 88 topics in this book. Some of the topics are: Chores, Communication, Curfews, Discipline, Drinking, Drugs, Honesty, Morals, Needs and Wants, Peer Pressure, Punctuality, Sex, Values, and Violence.

This is a practical, clearly written book on a subject about which there is very little clear thinking, let alone clear writing. Talking to teens is hard, even on a good day when they consent to grunt at you. The author takes these hard issues straight on and gives sensible advise as to how to speak to teens. Even better, the advise is written in a straightforward way, with no pretentious jargon or sentences that run on forever, like this one. Of course, not talking to teens at all is also a viable option. Our daughter went into her room when she was 14, came out again at 17 and said "I'm going to college now." But most peole, I think, would prefer that there be some communication during those always difficult year. This book will ease that process, help your teens deal with choices that may seem impossible to them but which, hard as they may find it to believe, you can actually help them with, if you can speak straight to them. Well worth owning

I found this book to be so basic and limited in its approach that it provided little or no helpful information. As an example, on "school" it gives advice such as "Don't tell your child he is wasting time in school and might as well get a job". I found the examples given for coversations were unrealistic. The one topic I most wanted to review - homework - wasn't even covered.