On Becoming Preteenwise: The middle years, eight to twelve years of
age, are perhaps the most significant attitude-forming period in the life of
a child. It is during this time that the roots of moral character are
established. From the foundation that is formed, healthy or not-so-healthy
family relationships will be built. These are the years when patterns of
behavior are firmly established patterns that will impact your parent-
child relationship for decades to come. Rightly meeting the small
challenges of the middle years significantly reduces the likelihood of big
challenges in the teen years. In other words, the groundwork you lay
during your child’s middle years will forever impact your relationship
even long after he or she is grown. Included are discussions related to the
eight major transitions of middle years children including how to create a
family-dependent and not a peer-dependent child. How to lead by your
relational influence and not by coercive authority. What discipline
methods work and what methods do not work and how to recognize if
your child is in trouble.
On Becoming Teenwise: Why do teenagers rebel? Is it due to hormones, a
suppressed primal desire to stake out their own domain, or a natural and
predictable process of growth? To what extent do parents encourage or
discourage the storm and stress of adolescence? On Becoming Teenwise
looks at the many factors that make living with a teenager a blessing or a
curse. It exposes the notions of secular myth and brings to light the
proven how-to applications of building and maintaining healthy
relationships with your teens. Whether you worry about your teen and
dating or your teen and drugs, the principles of On Becoming Teenwise
are appropriate and applicable for both extremes and everyone in
between. They do work!