This book is what every parent of an adolescent needs and wants. Feinstein's engaging stories and clear translation of the current neuroscience research will captivate any reader wondering why those kids act the way they do. This is a must read for parents, teachers, and others who interact with this misunderstood age group. I highly recommend it!
Marilee Sprenger, educational neuroscience consultant, Peoria, Illinois Today's parents face major challenges in helping their children successfully navigate through a multitude of risks on the road to maturity. In this book, Dr. Feinstein taps exciting new research on the teenage brain to provide parents and mentors powerful new tools to connect with youth and guide them on pathways to responsibility.
Larry K Brendtro, Ph.D., psychologist and founder of Reclaiming Youth International I am quite delighted to see this new book on parenting by Dr. Sheryl Feinstein. She has linked new and compelling research on the adolescent brain with the ever-challenging role of parenting. Dr. Feinstein's thought-provoking, yet amusing discussion gives us a refreshing opportunity to deepen our understanding of the adolescent and refine our parenting skills...An abundance of practical advice, with a dash of ground-breaking research, is offered at every turn of the page...Those of us who have been involved in education and brain research welcome this informed application to parenting. Dr. Feinstein has certainly produced a significant and long-overdue book on parenting the teenage brain.
from the Foreword by Eric Jensen, Jensen Learning Corporation, San Diego Feinstein's approach is straightforward and readable, providing very clear examples of ways to handle situations and build relationships....a useful tool for parents and anyone who works closely with teens, helping to put recent research in into a workable perspective.
VOYA, April 2008
Sheryl Feinstein focuses on the critical importance of 'high-quality relationships between parents and teens.' She not only describes these relationships and how to develop them, she also goes deeper to explain how the teenage brain physiologically becomes an adult brain, characterized by emotional stability and social responsibility. To acquire an adult brain, a teenager must have the opportunity, best provided by caring, knowledgeable parents, to experience and practice real-life, responsible decision making and problem solving. The more the teenager has these opportunities, the more the teenage brain will be able to grow the actual neurological structures of the adult brain. Feinstein shows, clearly and specifically, how parents can be the parents teens need to help them mature into responsible adults. An invaluable guide for every parent.
Rita Smilkstein, award winning author, Woodring College of Education, Western Washington University, Seattle