Customer Reviews

Yes, Your Parents Are Crazy!: A Teen Survival Guide

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm just about finished with this as well as Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy. Both great books. I wish I had had this one growing up, it would have helped me a lot to not feel so alone and to learn about being true to myself in terms of discovering my own identity. I highly recommend this book for ANY teen. Doc Mike talks in today's teen lanquage about their world now and how to face its many, many challenges. Just can't say enough.

I got this book when one of my kids expressed hurt feelings that I got Bradley's other book for parents called "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy." Fair is fair, right? We all liked the cover illustration a lot. Well, neither of my teens has read the book so far. I think the quantity of content could be a bit overwhelming. I think it's a great book though. I love the author's writing style a lot. You just have to know yourself or your kid to know if you/they will read a hefty, nearly 400 page book (unlike Harry Potter which both my kids delighted in reading).

The book is divided into three parts:
1) You Right Now (body, brain, psychological development and craziness)
2) Your World (culture, parents, family, peers, school)
3) Your Day to Day Life (made up of 30 topics in alphabetical order from aggression and appearance to working.)

The way I see it, if you or a kid you know can get a bit of help from reading any part of the book, it's worth its weight in gold (like what to say when a kid is getting pressured to do something she doesn't want to). When my kids were little, I got a parenting tip to have a home rich with resources. I still try to keep it that way because you never know what they'll pick up and get into. This book is going to stay on my shelf as a resource for me my kids. Recommended!

Edit, seven months later: Yes! As I hoped, the book has been discreetly picked up and read in sections that are relevant. :-)

In Yes, Your Parents Are Crazy!: A Teen Survival Guide, psychologist Michael Bradley draws upon his more than thirty years of experience and expertise to write this amazing sequel to his earlier book, Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy! Humorous cartoons add a lighthearted touch to the very solid advice, which has earned The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval. Chapters deal with all sorts of issues touching aupon day-to-day life of parents and teens, from blended families to religion, internet issues, school attendance, abuse, and much more. Written in down-to-earth terms intended for and accessible to any teenager, In Yes, Your Parents Are Crazy! is a first-rate help for teens and parents alike.

I haven't actually read this yet. My 12-year-old claimed it as soon as she saw the cover. We laughed when she read the back cover as I was looking over her shoulder trying to read too, and it said, "your parent is probably reading over your shoulder right now trying to see what trash you're reading!" I really like what I have seen leafing through it when I got a chance. I noted that in the first afternoon (a snow day with nothing going on) she had read 102 pages. I noticed that it said that the people who try to limit you are the ones who care about you, and that you should try things even if you think you might fail, because you will either succeed or see that failing wasn't so terrible and go on to try the next thing. I like the tone and voice, which seem encouraging without being either too preachy or too childish (and my daughter is sensitive to any tone that is even slightly too young or too patronizing).

There are lots of books to choose from; I'm glad I chose this one. Its predecessor was recommended by my women's health practitioner, and I chose this one instead because I thought the other title, "Yes your teen is crazy," would alienate my daughter if she saw it, whereas this title made her immediately own the book.

This book starts off with current knowledge about brain development in the teen years which serves to explain some of the intense emotions and the reputation for impulsive actions and sometimes poor judgement which teens have been tarred with. This develops into an attempt to show teens what the world and issues that relate to teens look like through parent's eyes as well as a call for empathy on the part of parents towards teens' limited perspective and state of brain development as well as the pressures on teens from their environment.
The reason for the title "Yes, your parents are crazy" is that Dr. Bradley uses stories of seemingly extreme and irrational behavior on the part of parents in dealing with some common teenage situations to explain that it (usually) comes from concern about what teens get exposed to and what it could cause them to do with their lives. He also tells teens that since parents are in a state of high emotion during a divorce, some of the "fallout" falls on them: that doesn't mean the parents don't love them but are so absorbed with their own concerns they don't think about how their actions affect others. A lesson to all of us. This book is as useful as or better than a lot of counselling. I recommend it for teens who do not have access to counselling or mental health services.
He also gives some tips to teens on how to communicate more effectively with their parents and negotiate with them towards increasing freedom and privilages. Bradley tells teens not to lie to their parents, but to make an effort to explain their actions fully and try to prove themselves responsible and trustworthy (unfortunately this did not work with my mother, whom I suspect truly _is_ crazy: I wish I knew what did).

My son saw my copy of "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy" (which was an excellent book by the same author.) I thought this book would be geared more towards teens--as I planned on giving it to my son to read--to understand why parents act the way they do. However, it was not written for a teenager. It was very similar to the "...Teen is Crazy" book.

My fear was that my daughter would not be into this book, because important books such as this are not easy or exciting to read. My daughter picked it up from among many books I got for me and her and kept on reading all the interesting topics (at least for her) and kept it around to read more. It is fascinating to see her not glued to the computer but reading this book on and off and keeping it next to her bed. Now my baby, I mean my daughter actually gives advices to her friends using tips from this book.

Other than the simple and likable way of discussing sensitive topics; Dr. Bradley redeems parents' dignity in their kids' eyes and explain parents' points of view to teens without lecturing them. This book is one of a kind that doesn't focus on preaching and lecturing teens, but addresses their developing minds from their perspective and helps restore the connection between teens and parents. Dr. Bradley is a saint, at least in my eyes!

We bought this book (and it's companion book, "Yes, your teen is crazy") after listening to a live presentation by its author, who is extremely well-founded, perceptive, competent, and funny. It's got great information that's important to know, and it's easily digested. We've read it, as has our teen-age daughter. It's enlightening and practical.

Lots of parents have chimed in. Were are the teenage reviews? How do the kids really feel about this book?

I got this for my two teen boys (15 and 16). They thought it was going to be all funny. It is great for them because it actually taught them a thing or two as well. They changed a little after reading this.