When Your Teen Is Struggling: Real Hope & Practical Help for Parents Today

by Mark Gregston

Book Overview

You've tried everything you know to do. Mark Gregston offers this encouragement: Don't lose hope. This groundbreaking book offers a system for helping kids work through their pain and offers hope and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736918221
• ISBN13: 9780736918220
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Life saver

I happened to be in the bookstore looking and seeking something to help during a time when I needed some advise on dealing with my teenage son. I thought this book looked good. What a find. I could not put it down. everything I read made so much sense and I was able to relate to my son in so many more ways and understand him. I felt that We were on the right track and doing what we needed to do to help him and I felt validated in what I was reading. It also aligned with scripture. Even for those that are not Christians the things in this book are worth reading and can give so much insight. It is almost like he is walking beside you and your child and talking to you. I will keep this book and re-read it.. I also bought a copy for my sister.

Excellent book!!! Brought hope and encouragement

I have a teenage daughter that has recently made some bad choices. At my wits end, I ordered this book and devoured it. Before reading the book, I felt like my whole world was crashing in. I have never felt so much pain and discouragement by what my daughter has chosen. After reading Mark's book, I could see light at the end of the tunnel. This book has brought me hope and that we can get to the other side of this mess with God's help.

Excellent resource for parents of all teens

When Your Teen is Struggling by Mark Gregston is an excellent resource for all parents of teens whether they are struggling or not. As any mother of two teens, I seem to always be struggling with one of them (at least they take turns), but I'm blessed in that neither of them is truly in trouble. We argue about grades, getting up in the morning, text messages, etc. Gregston, who has devoted his life to working with teens, is an expert on dealing with teens and their parents, who can be just as much work. He doesn't pull any punches, but he writes with a simple, clear form that really gets to the heart of the matter. He addresses different crises teens face and how we as parents can help them. The book is full of case studies of teens Mark has worked with (and he includes the outcomes in the back), each one is heartbreaking and gives insight into how to communicate with teens. I didn't realize how much I was robbing my children of the opportunity to be responsible until reading this, and I'm working on changing my habits. He encourages parents to discuss rather than lecture teens for more open communication and trust. His advice is solid; even though neither of my kids is going through the kind of difficulties the book deals with, I enjoyed the read and found lots of advice I can and will incorporate into my parenting.

Great Resource

When parents are facing an out of control teenager, they are either blamed or excused. This book does neither. Instead, it is a invaluable tool that can help families get back on track. Gregston tells like it is. No sugar coating.

Read about struggling teams to gain hope

If the world of advice for parents of teenagers is a vast ocean, then Mark Gregston's book, When Your Teen Is Struggling, is an island that rises above. At two hundred pages, it's small enough to be read in a few sittings, but don't let the size fool you. The book is packed with useful insights into the lives of troubled teens, giving parents a solid understanding of potential problems and suggestions for meaningful solutions. For parents lucky enough to have a non-troublesome teen--if such a thing exists--then this book is still worthwhile reading, if only to be forearmed and forewarned against what can and does happen to some kids as they mature. Gregston's credentials are impeccable. He is the founder Heartlight Ministries, a Christian center for teens. He works with families dealing with all kinds of problems. But most importantly he's been in the trenches for years dealing with the issues he writes about. When you read the book you get the sense that you're hearing a sage talk to you one-on-one. I lost count of the examples he provided, but I appreciated his candor in describing his lessons learned from his experiences, both good and bad. It's rare when a self-help book is hard to put down. Gregston draws you in with heartfelt stories that are sometimes horrifying, sometimes amazing, but always intriguing. When you've finished reading the book, you'll surely want to tell a friend about it. It's that kind of book. As for weaknesses in the text, they are small and few. The book could have benefited from a couple of figures or diagrams to help communicate some of the stepwise processes he offers. Gregston might have also used numbered lists on occasion to help clarify things here and there. Some non-Christians might be bothered by the frequent use of scriptures to help convey a message, but I would argue that all references to God could be omitted, and the book would still stand tall. Armchair Interviews says: A must read for every parent!