Your Defiant Teen: 10 Steps to Resolve Conflict and Rebuild Your Relationship » (New Edition)

Russell A. Barkley, PhD, is internationally known for his career-long research into ADHD and his efforts to educate professionals and the public. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. The recipient of awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, among other honors, Dr. Barkley has published widely on ADHD and related disorders. His website is www.russellbarkley.org

Arthur L. Robin, PhD, is Director of Psychology Training at Children's Hospital of Michigan, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University, and a practicing psychologist in Michigan with more than three decades of experience.

 

Christine M. Benton is a Chicago-based writer and editor.

 

When your teen’s rebellious behavior “crosses the line,” how can you reestablish your authority without getting caught in a power struggle? Bestselling authors and distinguished psychologists Russell Barkley and Arthur Robin have each spent decades helping parents and kids resolve standoffs and repair their relationships. Now they’ve distilled their approach into a clinically proven self-help program that can help you break through to your teen and rebuild trust. Centered around 10 simple steps that lead to better behavior, Your Defiant Teen provides practical guidelines for putting an end to the hostilities. You’ll learn realistic ways to foster mutual respect, introduce cooperative problem solving, and strengthen family relationships--while giving your teen vital skills for becoming a mature, independent adult.

Publishers Weekly

Barkley, research professor of psychiatry at SUNY-Syracuse Medical University and author (with Benton) of Your Defiant Child, and Robin (director of psychology training at Children's Hospital of Michigan) share between them 60 years of clinical and research experience studying the defiant behavior of children and adolescents. The first part of their comprehensive defiance-busting system helps parents define and assess the problem. The authors provide a chart to help readers gauge their child's behavior, then outline four factors that contribute to defiance: the teen's and parents' characteristics (which are unchanging), stress (which can be alleviated somewhat) and parenting style (which can be substantially modified). Part Two delves into the principles for reversing or preventing defiance, with sections on "one-on-one" time (including how to accomplish this with an uninterested teen), managing behavior and choosing appropriate punishments and rewards, to name a few. Without placing blame, the authors reveal that parents often unwittingly make a bad situation worse; the text gives solid tips on how to work toward a positive outcome and offers a variety of scenarios, demonstrating precisely how a parent's words and actions can be the source of a teen's compliant or defiant response. In the end, the authors offer a useful and detailed approach that respects the rights and expectations of parents and teens. (Feb.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     1
You and Your Defiant Teen
What Defiance Is-and What You Should Do about It     9
How Defiance Develops     26
What Does Adolescence Have to Do with It?     39
Is It Just Your Teen's Personality?     53
Where Do You Come In?     65
How to Find a Way Out     82
10 Steps to a Better Relationship with Your Teen-and a Better Future for Your Teen
Getting Ready     97
Step 1. Making Positive One-on-One Time a Habit     112
Step 2. A New Way to Manage Behavior     127
Step 3. Contracts and Point Systems: How Teens Can Earn Privileges     142
Step 4. Making the Punishment Really Fit the Crime     171
Step 5. Tackling Additional Issues with Rewards and Penalties     187
Step 6. Addressing Defiant Behavior in School and Conflicts over Homework     205
Step 7. Using Problem-Solving Skills     219
Step 8. Learning and Practicing Communication Skills     245
Step 9. Dealing with Unreasonable Beliefs and Expectations     267
Step 10. Keeping It Together     293
Sample Problem-Solving Worksheets     305
How to Find a Therapist     310
Resources     313
Index     319
About the Authors     326