When Your Teen Is Struggling review by Guest
When Your Teen Is Struggling: Real Hope and Practical Help for Parents Today
by Mark Gregston
Age Range - Adult
Genre - Educational
Five Star Award

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Age at time of review - NA
Reviewer's Location - Towson, Maryland, United States
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Mark Gregston is the founder of Heartlight Ministries, a residential counseling facility for teens in crisis. He has more than 30 years helping teens in crisis and uses his experience to help parents going through a crisis or just wanting to prevent a crisis in their lives. Gregston's book is divided into chapters which strive to give hope to parents, to explain the causes of their teen's crisis and to provide solutions to the problems. Each chapter has personal examples of teens and parents to assist the parent in understanding the examples.

Opinion: 

This is an outstanding book to assist a parent experiencing difficulties with their teen. The author states clearly that hope is action. Without action there is no hope. Reality is also emphasized in this book when it states that not all teens will be helped, but by putting our trust in God our relationship and outlook can change. We can change the way we communicate with family members and deal with crisis in our life. This book will help any Christian family facing turmoil in their teen's life.

Reviewer Age: 59

Reviewer City, State and Country: Spring, Texas USA

This book is intended to give practical advice to parents whose teens are struggling with various problems. The teens Gregston describes in the book are in crisis, but parents of any teen who want advice on how to help their children and their families avoid crisis situations will also find help here. Gregston uses examples of teens and their families to discuss the value of pain, the need to set boundaries and maintain a loving discipline, and how parents can best help their teens by building a family belief system and giving them responsibilities.

Gregston approaches the whole topic from a Christian viewpoint, which might limit the potential audience for the book, but most of the practical advice can be applied to any family whatever their beliefs might be. He bases his advice on more than thirty years of experience working with troubled teens and their families. If non-Christian parents choose to ignore the Bible passages that Gregston quotes, they will still find much of value, for the belief system Gregston proposes is one any family could adopt. He also frankly tells Christian parents that they don't help their children by trying to cocoon them from the rest of the world. Gregston's advice is truly practical, frankly discussed, and valuable for any family.

Reviewer: KK

Reviewer Age: 52

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida USA

Rating:
5
Content Rating:

Content rating - religious perspective
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