This book addresses the dilemma created by the discrepancy between our efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy and our support of adolescent parenthood, which the author argues is America's greatest unrecognized public health crisis. It is the most preventable cause of crime and welfare dependency, and because we hold no expectations for parents who conceive and give birth to children, rates of child neglect and abuse in the United States far exceed those of other developed nations. Westman explores the circumstances and values that make motherhood seem to be girls' best option and that induce males to conceive without the ability to support their children. It proposes a feasible legal procedure as the basis for ensuring that adolescents' babies have competent parents with the resources and environments they need.

The challenges of adolescence can leave many parents feeling overwhelmed at times with fear, frustration, and a lack of understanding. Dr. Walt Mueller brings more than 30 years of adolescent research (and his own parenting experience) to help you through the tumultuous years of adolescence, to help you understand and effectively parent your teen.

Expert suggestions for guiding your child through the rough teenage years Does it sometimes seem like your teenager is trying to push you over the edge? Learn what your child is going through and what you can do to help your teen navigate this difficult period in this practical guide from psychologist and parenting expert Carl Pickhardt. In an easy-to-read style, Dr. Pickhardt describes a 4-stage model of adolescent growth to help parents anticipate common developmental changes in their daughter or son from late elementary school through the college age years. Provides unique advice for dealing with arguing, chores, the messy room, homework, and many other issues Offers best practices for teaching effective communication, constructive conflict, and responsible decision-making Includes ideas for protecting kids against the dangers of the Internet, bullying, dating, sexual involvement, and substance use An essential road map for parents looking to guide their children on the path to adulthood.

Positive Parenting for Those Important Teen Years Adolescence is often a time of great stress and turmoil—not only for kids going through it, but for you, their parents as well. During the teen years, kids aggressively begin to explore a new sense of freedom, which often leads to feelings of resentment and powerlessness for parents who increasingly are excluded from their children's lives. This revised edition of Positive Discipline for Teenagers shows you how to break the destructive cycle of guilt and blame and work toward greater understanding and communication with your adolescents. Inside, you'll: ·Find out how to encourage your teen and yourself ·Grow to understand how your teen still needs you, but in different ways ·Learn how to get to know who your teen really is ·Discover how to develop sound judgment without being judgmental ·Learn how to use follow-through—the only surefire way to get chores done Over the years, millions of parents have come to trust the classic Positive Discipline series for its consistent, commmonsense approach to child rearing. Inside, you'll discover proven, effective methods for working with your teens. Over 1 million Positive Discipline books sold! "I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers, and all others who work with young people. It is one of the best books I have seen on helping adults and adolescents turn their conflict into friendship. Remarkably, it shows how to accomplish this while helping young people develop courage, confidence, responsibility, cooperation, self-respect, and trust. I urge you to read it." —H. Stephen Glenn, Ph.D., coauthor of Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World.

Launching a child from home is second only to child-birth in its impact on a family. Parents can end up reeling with the empty-nest blues, while teens find their powers of self-reliance stretched to the breaking point. During the time of upheaval that begins senior year of high school with the nerve-wracking college application process and continues into the first year of life away from home, The Launching Years is a trusted resource for keeping every member of the family sane. From weathering the emotional onslaught of impending separation to effectively parenting from afar, from avoiding the slump of “senioritis” to handling the newfound independence and the experimentation with alcohol and sexuality that college often involves, The Launching Years provides both parents and teens with well-written, down-to-earth advice for staying on an even keel throughout this exciting, discomforting, and challenging time.