The Seven Year Stretch: How Families Work Together to Grow Through Adolescence

Kastner, a family therapist, and freelancer Wyatt delineate vignettes, described as ""fictionalized composites,"" of the most common areas of contention that develop between teens and their parents. Chapters follow adolescent development and deal with such topics as trust, character and sexuality, culminating in the child's entry into the world as a responsible human being. With descriptions of challenges frequently posed by adolescents, from light infractions such as a one-time-only curfew violation to the serious concerns raised by chronic truancy and bulimia, and strategies parents can respond with, teenage behavior is considered in light of a family's overall dynamic. Some problems may go beyond Junior, reflecting family patterns handed down from a previous generation (what's known as a family-of-origin issue). The authors surmise that a teen's every misstep involves a blend of factors: trust, independence, control and freedom. The effects of divorce and step-parenting are discussed, but only briefly. While a book design with more subheads might make for easier reading, the authors' conversational, anecdotal and holistic approach has something to offer nearly all parents of teens, even if it's simply confirmation of their own techniques. (May)