ABSTRACT
Being a good parent is one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs a person can have. Being the parent of a teen, in particular, is a daunting task, especially given the fast-paced, technology-driven, competitive society we live in today. As we begin to notice the significant changes that come with adolescence (physical changes brought about by puberty, the constant angst and moodiness, and, of course, the classic eye rolling inevitably accompanied by the I-know-it-all attitude), we wonder what happened to our happy, affectionate little boy or girl. As our children get older, we are inevitably amazed to witness our sweet child mutate into a full-blown pubescent mass of emotions. We also begin to search for answers to a multitude of questions in an effort to understand what’s normal and what’s not during our child’s transition to adulthood, see how other parents are handling this tumultuous time, and learn what resources are out there to keep us from pulling our hair out and help us figure out if we’re doing anything right.
