Parenting Pointers: Advice from a Teen

I recently had the chance to read a very interesting book called Teens Happen: A Parent's Guide to Deciphering the Most Secretive of Creatures by Shea Rouda. It was a very well put-together book about how to deal with teens written by one who knows them best - a teen! Today's teenagers are different from those of a few years ago, and since most people raising and dealing with teens haven't been that age themselves for quite some time, it's very nice to read directly from someone in that age group. I had the chance to interview Shea, and here are the answers.

1) What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired to write the book after hearing friends in both Ohio and California complain about how much they hated their parents. I began to feel it was less of a physical or emotional hatred between teens and parents, but more of a socially awkward disconnection between the two. because of this concept, I decided if I could voice some of my peers and own opinions, share some information about teenagers today, and in general make the awkward miscommunications facing teens and parents less frequent. I would be able to help teenagers and parents interact to build stronger, healthier relationships.

2) Was writing this easier or harder than you thought?
At first, writing the book went fairly smooth. However, this was because I cranked out most of it during a road trip over spring break. Once school picked up again and practices were back to normal I found it increasingly harder to find time to write. on top of that, I still tried to maintain a social life, so to be exclusive and take time to write and edit Teens Happen was indeed a difficult challenge.

3) What did your friends and family members think about you writing this
book?
Initially, I hesitated to tell friends about writing Teens Happen. I was secretive about gathering information and asking friends opinions about high school life and other content for the book. I did so to avoid criticism or embarrassment, after all if I never was able to land a publisher then I didn't want to seem like I was simply trying to grab attention. then, as soon as the book became a reality, and GreenLeaf gave me a contract I started to tell friends. The entire time my family knew, their support and wisdom gave substantial aid to my writing progress.

4) What is the biggest piece of advice you have for teens? For parents?
The biggest advice I have for teens and parents is respect and understanding for each other. Teenagers will face stress and obstacles, how you react and understand these situations will greatly influence the strength and health of the bond with your teen. please try to make our lives easier, whether it be through keeping school supplies at the house so we don't have to make a last minute run to staples, or avoiding the temptation to point out the acne on our face (yes we see it, we know its there). By making our lives easier, we in turn make your life easier by not complaining, stressing you out, or driving you crazy.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-book version of "Teens Happen" to facilitate this post.