Nautilus Gold Award Winner: Parenting & Family
A practical guide to understanding teens from bestselling author and
global youth advocate Josh Shipp.
In 2015, Harvard researchers found that every child who does well in the
face of adversity has had at least one stable and committed relationship
with a supportive adult. But Josh Shipp didn't need Harvard to know
that. Once an at-risk foster kid, he was headed straight for trouble
until he met the man who changed his life: Rodney, the foster parent who
refused to quit on Shipp and got him to believe in himself.
Now, in The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans, Shipp shows all of us
how to be that caring adult in a teenager's life. Stressing the need for
compassion, trust, and encouragement, he breaks down the phases of a
teenage human from sixth to twelfth grade, examining the changes, goals,
and mentality of teenagers at each stage.
Shipp offers revelatory stories that take us inside the teen brain, and
shares wisdom from top professionals and the most expert grown-ups. He
also includes practice scripts that address tough issues, including:
- FORGIVENESS: What do I do when a teen has been really hurt by someone
and it's not their fault?
- COMMUNICATION: How do I get a teen to talk to me? They just grunt.
- TRUST: My teen blew it. My trust is gone. Where do we go from here?
- BULLYING: Help! A teen (or their friend) is being harassed.
- DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS: Drugs. Death. Sex. Oh my.
Written in Shipp's playfully authoritative, no-nonsense voice, The
Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans tells his story and unpacks
practical strategies that can make a difference. Ultimately, it's not
about shortcuts or magic words--as Shipp reminds us, it's about
investing in kids and giving them the love, time, and support they need
to thrive.
And that means every kid is one caring adult away from being a success
story.
