Suddenly They're 13, Or the Art of Hugging a Cactus: A Parent's Survival Guide for the Adolescent Years. - book review

Adolescence, Spring, 2002

ARP, David, & ARP, Claudia. Suddenly They're 13, Or the Art of Hugging a Cactus: A Parent's Survival Guide for the Adolescent Years. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999. 22lpp. $12.99 (p).

The Arps know through experience that it is often difficult for parents to understand a teen who is still trying to understand himself or herself, so they have developed multiple methods to help bridge the communication chasm between parents and teens. The Arps touch on several topics that all parents are bound to deal with, including dating. curfews, drugs, peer pressure, mood swings, and even the frustration of trying to keep a teen's room clean. Parents are not perfect and they need to realize that their children are not either, and the Arps try to make it easier for both sides to maneuver through the teenage years. They explain how to work with teens on communicating and coming up with solutions to problems. Each chapter is filled with biblical advice, anecdotal advice from other parents. and multiple opportunities for interaction, using checklists, outlines, and helpful reminders.