For Parents and Teenagers - by William Glasser (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Are you tired of the constant arguments, the slammed doors, and the feeling that you and your teenager are living in two different worlds?

If your attempts to control your teen's behavior only lead to more conflict and disconnection, you are not alone. World-renowned psychiatrist William Glasser, M.D., explains that the problem isn't you or your child--it's the outdated "external control psychology" that almost all parents use.

In For Parents and Teenagers, Dr. Glasser offers a revolutionary new path forward that has helped countless families. He demonstrates that the secret to a better relationship isn't more rules or stricter punishments, but rather giving up coercive control to build a bond based on trust and respect. This practical parenting advice provides the tools you need to stop fighting with your teenager and start connecting with them again.

Dr. Glasser replaces frustrating power struggles with a proven, relationship-first approach based on his groundbreaking Choice Theory, showing you how to:

• Stop Controlling and Start Connecting: Learn why common-sense tactics like punishing, threatening, and nagging--what Dr. Glasser calls the "seven deadly habits"--are guaranteed to fail and what to do instead.
• Understand Teenage Behavior: Discover the five basic genetic needs (love and belonging, power, freedom, fun, and survival) that drive your teen's choices and learn how to address them constructively.
• Build Trust and Respect: Implement the "seven connecting habits," including caring, listening, supporting, and negotiating, to rebuild your relationship on a foundation of mutual respect, not fear.
• Navigate Difficult Issues with Confidence: Apply these proven strategies to real-world problems, with case studies covering everything from school failure and peer pressure to anorexia and drug use.

From the Back Cover

The author of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy offers a powerful approach for helping troubled teens.

In his decades as a therapist, Dr William Glasser has often counselled parents and teenagers. His advice has healed shattered families and changed lives. Now in his first book on the lessons he has learned, he asks parents to reject the 'common sense' that tells them to 'lay down the law', ground teens, or try to coerce them into changing behaviour. These strategies have never worked, asserts Dr Glasser, and never will. Instead he offers a different approach based upon Choice Theory. Glasser spells out the seven deadly habits parents practiSe and then shows them how to accomplish their goals by changing their own behaviour. Above all, he helps parents keep their relationship with their child strong. Dr Glasser provides a groundbreaking method that any parent can use with confidence and love.