Coach Your Teen to Success: 7 Simple Steps to Transform Relationships and Enrich Lives

Rating:
Summary: Great BOOK and a Great INTERVIEW
Review: "Coaching Your Teen to Success" should be the desire of every parent, and before you dismiss this review as not for you, let me just say that I believe any adult who works with or even knows any teens that could use their help should pay close attention.

Barbara McRae is a master certified coach and expert in this area and she says that in this age of high anxiety it's essential to be equipped with modern and proven parent-teen coaching techniques so that teens can have a more positive and successful future.

She also says advanced communication skills are imperative with you teens, no matter if you're a single partent, a step-parent, a married couple or a concerned aunt or uncle.

I interviewed Barbara McRae on "The Inside Success Show" and loved it. She's a real expert when it comes to teens and after interviewing her I can see why parents and teens flock to her for advice.

Here are some of the highly valuable things you'll find out:
** How to give kids the benefit of your knowledge and experience without turning them away
** How to get teens to open up?
** How to listen by getting curious, not furious
** Ideal questions to ask teens to help you better know your kids
** The one thing you must not do or say to your teen
** Learn the one fallacy that most parents believe about dealing with a teen

If you desire a better future and want to help this next generation to be more accountable, respectful, and contributing adults - then I highly recommend you get this book, read it and take good notes so you can get started right away.

Randy (Dr. Proactive) Gilbert, host of "TheInsideSuccessShow.com" and best-selling author of "Success Bound"

Rating:
Summary: Attention all Moms and Dads!
Review: Kids don't come with instructions, but "Coach Your Teen to Success" is the next best thing! I wish I had had this practical book when my daughters were preteens. My life would've been so much easlier if I had known how to talk to teens in order for them to want to listen AND how to listen in order for them to talk. I particularly benefited from the Insightful Questioning step/section. Now my conversations with my young adults are delightful and meaningful. I highly recommend this book - easy to read and very effective. I liked it so well, I read it TWICE!

Rating:
Summary: A helpful and empowering book
Review: What parent wouldn't like to make the sometime rocky teen years into a time where you can really empower your teen to become an effective adult? I consider this book a must-read for anyone who wants to parent their teen with heart, head and soul. This book is jam-packed with exercises, tips and thought-provoking questions that will help parents and anyone who has a special teen in their life. I found the advice to be on-target and insightful, and the information is well-organized and clearly presented. I especially liked the "workbook" quality of Coach Your Teen to Success; throughout the book there are many exercises (conveniently designed with spaces for answers) to help you fully synthesize the wisdom of this book (e.g. how to transform questions into "positive whys" and a Parenting Styles Self-Assessment). The book is written in an inspiring and clear style and offers concrete suggestions for changing the relationships between teens and parents. The guidelines on how to be a conscious listener and how to change criticisms into affirming words were two areas that I could begin working on right away. I'm looking forward to developing deeper and better relationships with the teens in my life, thanks to this book.

Rating:
Summary: Parents: Build A Strong Bond With Your Teen
Review: Without a doubt one of the best guides for parents of teens and pre-teens available today! Expertly written by Barbara McRae, parent, mentor, coach, and founder of Teen Frontier International, Coach Your Teen To Success helps you guide your children through the changes, challenges, and choices they face as teens. Just as valuable, this book shows you how to foster a healthy, positive relationship with your teenager.

I like how Barbara dives right in. As a parent, she knows how busy you are, so she doesn't waste your time -- she gets to the point fast and starts with a list every parent can relate to: "What Parents Want." Right away, she provides space in the book for you to write down your thoughts, ideas and observations. The next chapter follows logically: "What Teenagers Want From Their Parents." Each point is described clearly and succinctly. Again, you'll find space to write down your own observations.

The rest of the book continues to follow logically, taking you step by step through relevant topics, including changes (your teenager's AND your own), pitfalls, the heart connection, and really listening. Coach Your Teen is highly interactive; as you read, you're given ample opportunities to personalize each topic to get the maximum mileage out of the clear advice presented.

The appendices cover additional vital areas, including teen suicide prevention and a section to help you start more meaningful conversations with your teen. Unlike some books out there, everything here is timely. Barbara skillfully explains the "evolution in teen parenting" -- a MUST read. Understanding this evolution is one of the keys to building a solid relationship with your teen. I especially appreciate Barbara's emphasis on mutual respect. As she accurately points out, guilt tactics once used on us will not work on today's teens.

If you want to understand your teen, help your teen, and build and maintain a solid relationship with your child as he or she grows through the teen years, get this book. It's an indispensable guide that will smooth your paths and strengthen the parent/teen bond.

--Graciela Sholander, http://dreamitdoit.net