Parenting has always been a difficult job. However, teens and parents today have so many more difficult topics to tackle, especially with the introduction of social media. In this book, Behind Closed Doors, Jessica Peck, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and mother, attempts to explain how to tackle tough topics with teens.  Some of the most difficult topics that teens (and parents) face today are presented including: cyberbullying, sexting, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. These issues are presented through vignettes with activities, questions, and devotional readings supplied in order to facilitate open communication with your teen. This book is an interesting read for anyone that provides advice to teens. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I actually really like the insight and guidance the author had in this book. The problem is- the connection to God  is so overwhelming, it is only for a really select audience. Working for a non-religious independent school, I make a lot of book recommendations but wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this because of the assumption of the author that God has to be involved when communicating and reflecting. Consider rewriting a non-religious version, or making it more clear in the title that there is this presence.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: A GUIDE TO HELP PARENTS AND TEENS NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE'S TOUGHEST ISSUES.
BY: JESSICA L. PECK

I requested this parenting guide, because my two sons are fairly new 24 and 21 years old. As a mother of young "ADULT" children, they are both the loves of my life. That being said, they are both very private about their personal lives, which I totally respect. They were both super easy to raise. They were both easy going and never got in trouble. I never had cause to punish them either because they were very well behaved. I was curious to read this because I was looking for conversational prompts to generate more open dialogue.

Some of the content was shocking. The Author is a nurse practitioner in Pediatrics, so she is up to date on most issues that are discussed. I was taken for granted that I knew most things having to do with both of my sons teenage years. I left the sex education up to my husband who automatically performed his duties. Statistics that she mentioned having to do with most teens being exposed to certain things that I never dreamed my two sons thought about were shockingly high. She talks about pornography, sexting, gender identity, racism, eating disorders and probably a few that I left out. Oh I forgot social media and suicide.

I found that my two sons always had a great male and easy going pediatrician. Their access to great health care is a resource that she mentions, which is one that we provided. I can't imagine them having gone through themselves, most of the issues that she raises. I always have told them and still do that I love them all of the time. She has four children of her own and she raises the point of making a safe environment of the parents for the teen to feel that they won't get shamed if they talk about these issues with their parents'. I was pretty much an easy going parent and I think that my two sons know that they can speak openly to me about anything and I will most always be positive. I think that if I follow her statistics, that maybe I didn't know everything that went on with my two sons'. My husband would have told me if they mentioned any of the behaviors that she mentioned to him.

I am not saying "Not my child," either. Maybe things have changed in today's world that are more prevalent than they were. At any rate, I doubt that at my sons current ages that these are things that they would bring up in a conversation to me. You never know. I knew most of the suggestions that she made, already. I will be prepared either way having read this to keep an open mind and as always be the kind of mother that listens more than always talking. I am still glad that I read this even though it was not what I was expecting. Maybe I will get a chance to help others who are not my children using some of her suggestions.

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Jessica L. Peck and Thomas Nelson--W Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

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