Have a New Teenager by Friday

I have purchased maybe 6 books on teens in the past 1.5 yrs since my now 16 yr.,10 mo. old grandson came to live with me after losing his Mom. New Teenager by Friday by Kevin Leman takes a different approach to guidance, encouragement and development of teens. His straight talk, non-clinical chapters give us the 'parent' a Step 1, step 2, etc. guidelines for us to follow. Previously it was not 'cool' to be a 'friend' to your teen. In the '60's we were asked to be in a parent/child relationship. Dr. Leman follows an equal respect guideline for one another by giving the teen a voice in making decisions about everything from meals, behavior, curfew, current events, politics and sexual activity. That is to say by giving the teens a chance to be heard without having to listen to put-downs and criticism, they will develop a sense of power that previously had been undermined by the constant nagging, 'you shoulds" and power struggles. He claims that you will see improvements almost immediately. I have used his techniques and have seen major improvements in the past four weeks. You will continue to see little explosions from time to time (he says to expect that to happen) but that is normal in the hormone group. My teen remembers household jobs without reminders, he says 'when you have time, please give me a ride, he apologizes after loosing his temper with being prompted, he thanks me for the smallest thing like purchasing a favorite food, a cooked meal, helping with a project. Most important message is to develop the ability to stop and think before you speak. It took a little practice to change the way I communicated with my teen but so far it is working and I look forward to improvements every day. Remember, listen to your teens no matter how silly or boring they may be, listen to their music if invited to do so no matter how bad it is, avoid saying 'I'm too busy", avoid negative comments about their opinions. You, too, can have a new teen by Friday!

I am highly impressed with the works of Dr. Leman. You'll find in this book that he's honest and straight to the point. I've heard some people say, "Oh, this book is a no brainer. Most parents know how to raise their kids, it's just common sense." First of all, most parents need a lot of help right now, and this book delivers it. You cannot not back down mind you. As far as common sense goes, hello? Of course there's common sense, and there's scads of people that don't possess that trait either! With the demands of an adult in this day and age, it's a relief to know there something out there that gets you back on track, back to basic principals. This book is a must read for real families that have real teens with real issues. The world is a messed up place right now and frankly, it's messing with our children and their future. Have a New Teenager by Friday could not have come out at a better time. If you want to END frustration, arguing, and have peace in your home again, buy this book. I'm proud of Dr. Leman for stepping up to the plate and making things simple again. Thanks!

This is a book written from a Christian viewpoint. It's not preachy-preachy "Jesus this", "Jesus that". In fact, I don't remember seeing the word "Jesus" in the book. What it is, is a very readable book with some great insights from Dr. Leman. Dr. Leman puts forth the notion that if you are raising your kids to be adults, then you can allow them to make adult type decisions as they mature. It's that simple. One of his examples is setting the teenage driver's curfew to be "a reasonable hour". If they don't bring the car back at a reasonable hour, then they don't get the family car keys for their next outing. Plain, simple. One of the topics is purposive behavior. I'm going through a divorce right now and see each of my four children engaging in purposive behavior. Dr. Leman tells you how to deal with these behaviors in simple effective ways. I've used several of his methods for dealing with my mouthy teen (I was a mouthy teen too). The methods are effective and takes the winds out of his sails and I can actually reason with him. I've used the methods on my 6 year old daughter and they are fairly effective with her as well. I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants to heal their relationship with their teenager. Strangely enough, Dr. Leman (Christian Psychologist) and Marilyn Manson (Satanist and Musician) have the same basic advice for you: Listen to your teenager.

I have been a fan of Dr. Leman since I read "Have a New Kid by Friday." I am a health care provider, and I recommend "Have a New Kid by Friday" to parents of all of my patients who have behavior problems (and what parent doesn't have some sort of struggle with their child?) so I was really excited when "Have a New Teenager by Friday" was released. I was not disppointed, and it will now be the book I recommend to all the parents of my teenage patients. It is a great book for parents of teens/tweens-aimed at parents of children 11+. I don't even have teenagers, but the book reminded me that I need to parent with a goal in mind--to create responsible adults. Each of the days has a specific action step for parents. It shows parents how to change what they are doing and how they parent in order to get the desired result out of their children. As a parent, it is very empowering to have a plan--"when my child does this, this is how I am going to respond." After the days of the week/action plan is the parents' secret weapon--what I call the troubleshooting guide--where Dr. Leman addresses LOTS of specific problems common to teenagers, and what advice Dr. Leman gives to deal with them. Sprinkled throughout the book are also testimonies of parents who followed Dr. Leman's advice and how it worked for them. I laughed, I cried, and I think I highlighted something on every page. This book is an enjoyable read, plus it can help you be a better parent.

The dynamics have changed, and a new game plan is in order. You may have all the common sense in the world, but what do you do when your teen doesn't want you to solicit any of it? Your experiences, lessons, and knowledge is just that....yours. Have a New Teenager by Friday helps to remove the angst that naturally occurs between a parent who wants to impart wisdom, and a teen who wants to exercise independence. Modifying your methods of "influence" without guidance is easier said than done. Time is moving fast, and methods that work are needed...ASAP! This book fits the bill. Have a New Teenager by Friday will keep you laughing, and nodding your head in agreement. Most importantly, It'll leave you feeling like you can do this parenting thing after all, and maybe, just maybe, you'll have fun doing it too. Though I have not had a chance to experiment with all the issues presented in the book, those that I have are working beautifully. Our daughter is homeschooled, so I've had a few different opportunities to implement these ideas. We are quickly learning how to compromise with one another with regards to how and when things are accomplished. Read...I'm relinquishing control, and giving her a more responsible role. It has had an impact on our daughters attitude already. She even commented today, that she is feeling more grown up. Sold! Dr. Leman's methods have reduced the frequency of our arguments over the issues. That, in and of itself, makes this book worth every penny! We plan on buying the audio book for a friend who's struggling with two daughters. I'm confident Have a New Teenager by Friday will be just as valuable to his family as well.

Dr. Leman has some good tips in this book, but unless you can devote a lot of time to reading and have pliable teenagers, don't count on having a new kid by Friday. Many of his suggestions are helpful and definitely use a positive approach to parenting that is similar to some other positive parenting approaches. I was in the thick of grad school when I tried to read this book and did not have a lot of extra time to devote to reading a whole book before I needed to have some results. Plus I have teens that are very stubborn and probably were upset with me because I was spending so much time reading and so little time with them. All in all it is a good book, if you have time to read it, and you may find a nugget or two of wisdom that will help. As with other things by Leman, you have to take the good with the bad and make the best of it.

So many tips for parents. We know our triggers, but understanding what sets oir teen off, how to help them notice their triggers, how to find a balance of sanity. How to remember, they are not hungry for our words, they are learning from the parents actions. Experimenting with their own identity. Be their safety net without the verbal abuse and attitude.

My 11 year old daughter didn't want me to buy this book. You see, she knows! She knows that if I do, things will change. Click. Book purchased and delivering to my Kindle reading app. "You didn't!?","I did! And you know what honey? Your days are numbers." She stormed out of the room and I started reading. Yes! Have a New Teenager by Friday is not a method that will transform your teenager. It is something that will transfer your entire family (including you.) Each chapter is divided by days (Monday through Friday.) You can really start on any day that you want and it might be very likely that you will see a significant change before Friday. Dr. Leman concludes the book with a top 10 countdown to having a new teenager by Friday. My favorite part of the book is the "Ask Dr. Leman" section. In it, he discusses the 75 hottest topics parents have asked him. The index in the back is sorted by topic so that you can quickly refer back to the topic you want to focus in on. As I close, you need to understand. The book isn't designed to make your teenager miserable. On the contrary, your child (maybe even my child) might surprise you with a "Thank you!" Enjoy the book! It is a quick read with lasting impacts.

This was a real hit because it doesn't actually change the teenager, but how you respond to them, and it's that that changes them! Very good and like all in this series, clearly written and with humour and sensitivity. Great books!

I had already read “Have a New Kid by Friday” and this book does not really bring much new information, as I thought it would. But the concept of dealing with the child/kid is really good and works. I tried it at home, some things changed around here (not exactly until Friday) and my kid is more respectful now than before.

I bought this book through sheer frustration with the attitude of my 20 year old daughter. No teenager anymore, but still acting like one. I read it in one day - not all of it, but the bits that mattered. The book looks at parenting styles, as well as what are the common issues with teenagers of all ages. The common issues are addressed in detail in the second half of the book, so you can read what is relevant. The first part of the book focuses on helping us work out what is important, and what changes are needed in order to change or improve the relationship with our teenager. It is all down to us really. We have to change our responses in order to get a change in the behaviour of our clever teenagers who know exactly what they are doing and how to achieve what they want. For the money I definately recommend you download the book and read it through. Dr Leman also has a FB page and a website you can check out. He is a Christian, and American as well, but even for non US, non Christians there is a lot in the book. What I also found comforting was that; a - I am not alone in the issues I have, and b, I have been generally getting it right. All I need to do is a bit of a tweak. So today I will get down to it. Oh, and if you do order this book, don't let on to the kids - no warnings :)

Great book! Helps parents learn to guide and direct their teens, while keeping the household sane!

The title was catching, and everyone would love a new teenager by friday, I had some great laughs, but on a good note some very good information for parents that may be struggling with the teen years and behaviors.