Understanding Your 12-14 Year Olds (Understanding Your Child - The Tavistock Clinic Series)

Rating:
Summary: In depth writing based on true examples
Review: Many entries are in depth based on true stories. The description about group is very well thought. The author categorize the group members into the one tougher, the one smarter, the one sensitive, the one rather rash and the one deprived, is quite interesting on page 45. Her explanation of how a child get involve with the gang and how one isolates from the group is also very logical, natural and convincing.
The synthesis of the whole book centered around the adolescence??s quest for identity. Her example of panic attack related to conforming on page 56 is a powerful psychoanalysis. Her insight about the adolescence??s desire to separate from their parents by dressing differently or creating a crisis is also well explained through out the chapter.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, because it is not wordy and to the point. The font is big. Sometimes it was really funny, because often the author talked about a serious problem of adolescent from a distance in chapter one. The best of this book, is that it cites a lot of real examples, revealing the naked truth of adolescent experiences through out the book. I would suggest this book and the following books of this series to writers, because they can experience the true life of different ages, therefore they could understand the psychology of adolescent and write for a deeper and more vivid character. I enjoyed this book as reading a novel in postmodern style. Some parents might feel this book disappointed, because the book mostly unveils the conflict, confusion, anxiety and dreadful feelings of this age and the parents?? disability to deal with the problems. It lacks giving strategy or tips for the parents in a clearly format. This book is excellent in telling what adolescent are but rarely providing clear concrete suggestion about how to deal with their problems. However, all parents should read this book. Through true understanding, I believe parents can create their own strategy better than ready to use formula of advises.