Whatever, Mom: Hip Mama's Guide to Raising a Teenager (Paperback)

by Ariel Gore (Author), Maia Swift (Contributor) "At the risk of sounding a wee bit academic, I want to make one thing clear: Adolescence is a social construction..." (more)
Key Phrases: kids about sex, four agreements, San Francisco, American Academy of Pediatrics, Model Mugging

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Ariel Gore ... provides succor to moms who cannot relate to our culture's mawkish notions of motherhood."

Product Description
This long-overdue, witty, and revealing book on living life with teenagers begins with the premise that adolescence, as we know it, is nothing but a social construction. "Even your most aristocratic ancestors," Gore writes, "never knew these long seasons of middle school and orthodontia, Ritalin and yo-yo diets, standardized tests and summer vacations, call-waiting and CD Walkmans, football practice and study abroad programs, learner's permits and college choices." Much of what parents fear about their kids reaching their teens, she notes, stems from popular culture, media scare tactics, and parents' own dubious, sometimes painful experiences. Instead of fear and ultimatums, Gore offers a map for navigating the inevitable changes that come with kids growing older-wanting more freedom, peer-influenced decision-making, burgeoning sexual selves-and confronting the life changes moms and dads, who were "cool" themselves only yesterday, face as their parenting responsibilities and identities shift. Whatever, Mom is the only teen guidebook to include the opinions of teens themselves, including chapter-by-chapter rebuttals by Gore's daughter, Maia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580050891
• ISBN-13: 978-1580050890
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #994,169 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars doing the best we can..., April 21, 2004

By	Karin (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

I loved Ariel's new book. It came just at the right time, as I mourn the loss of my "baby" and am learning to embrace this new developing woman-child in my house.

Best:
--Normalizing that the process of teen differentiation can be painful and difficult, as well as rewarding. We (parents) are not alone! It's not just me!!
--The research to dispell fears & myths about teen, presented in clean and clear (and even funny) format
--Reminder that the author is a "human mama-woman doing the best I can". It really helped remind me that I am too!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on parenting teenagers, July 12, 2004

By	chiara (USA) - See all my reviews

This is a lionhearted meditation on guiding our children through their teenage years and learning how to let go. I found Ariel Gore's well-researched advice extremely helpful. The chapters written by her daughter are poignant and, when they poke fun, seem to be all in good family humor. If you have children over eleven, you will want to read this.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Save this book!, November 7, 2004

By	J. Aragon "Feminist Educator" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book made me laugh, sign, and in some places get all teary eyed. I'm going to save this book for when my daughter(s) goes through puberty.

Ariel Gore did it again with this book. She is such a fine writer and hipster mama. I absolutely love all her work and she also is a skilled public speaker, when I've heard her read excerpts from her books.

Back to the book, the inclusion of Maia's entries adds to the conversational tone of the book. Buy this book if you are parenting a girl-woman. It will give you a reality check on how to best parent your daughter during her teen years.