Dr. Albert Oppedisano

Education and Empowerment for the Twenty-first Century Parent: a Practical Guide for Raising Healthy and Well-adjusted Teens Dr. Albert Oppedisano

Life in the twenty-first century often presents itself as complicated, stressful, and taxing on the soul. Technology, with all of its merits, has brought with it many unique challenges that affect family life more than most could possibly have anticipated. From sexual predators trolling the Internet for young victims to cyberbullying, parents need to be keenly aware of the dangers lurking only a keyboard click away. Parenting has never been easy. It is filled with challenges and obstacles that shape every child-parent dynamic. Raising healthy and successful children takes work; work that lasts decades. Modern-day parenting requires a willingness to view the world with eyes wide open. A more effective approach to safeguarding our families is to understand risk and adapt a parenting style that is responsive to the rapidly changing dangers present in modern society. When it comes to parenting, perfection is an ideal that is unrealistic. Concepts explored in this book focus on empowerment, education, and flexibility. For most readers, their own parenting style has been influenced by their unique history and the relationship that they had with their own parents. A willingness to be insightful regarding both the positive and negative aspects of your own upbringing will offer tremendous opportunity for growth. Mistakes occur in parenting, and owning those helps to model good behavior. A rigid parenting style makes it very difficult to respond to the rapidly changing risk factors present within our culture. Parents need to listen to the subtleties expressed by their children and teach them the importance of healthy dialogue. It is also critical to be aware of and understand the signs and symptoms of mental illness or mood disturbances so that you can differentiate between behaviors that are a normal part of adolescent development and those that are of greater concern. By developing a trusting relationship, parents will provide a safe environment in which children can talk openly. Furthermore, This book will help parents learn ways to use appropriate and effective discipline strategies to reinforce good decision-making and to establish clear rules and boundaries within the household.