Even as a grandma, it sometimes seems to me that my precious teenage grandkids are from a different planet. Don't get me wrong. I love them and want them to express themselves and be their own persons but occasionally I shake my head in dismay and have to bite my tongue. Like when my grandson got a magenta Mohawk haircut and wanted to have an all night rock 'n' roll jam session with beer in my basement. I won't go into the subject of my granddaughter's hiphugger pants which barely cover her public bone. This book puts a lot of things that I didn't know how to deal with into perspective for me. It helps to have others in similar situations share their thoughts. Thanks for giving me a new take on things and lifting my confusion. I guess there's hope for us all after all.

Don't let the sponsored nose-jewelry links fool you. This supportive book is about living with teens from their parents' perspective. It is not about nasal adornment. Like the many topics the book covers, "nose rings" represent many of the immediately identifiable issues we parents encounter in dealing successfully and unsuccessfully with our teens. Like me, you will find yourself laughing, crying, and nodding along with these life-affirming essays because they're written by people just like us, who are in the trenches every day, struggling, and who really know it's not always easy to make contact with, understand and love those people we sometimes grudgingly call "our kids." This book provides both insight and hope! A big Thank You from the parent of one nose ring wearer and one navel ring wearer.

To be a parent of a teen is to ride a roller coaster of raging hormones. As a result, it sometimes seems nearly impossible to understand what they're going through, what they want and need, and know how to respond to it all. One minute they're pushing you away; the next, they're pushing the envelope with their risky behaviors. This leaves parents confused, pulling out their hair, wondering when to hang in, hold on, or let go.

What makes this collection of warm, funny, and inspirational real-life essays by parents of teens so great is that it provides much-needed insight and support in this area. How you can influence your teens without interfering with their finding their own identity. How you can help them feel safe and secure, knowing their family is their anchor, even as they explore new areas. It shows that you CAN understand them and reconnect with them as you ride this coaster together. And, most importantly, it challenges the negative teen stereotypes and reassures you that "teens are NOT a disease."

Cooke and Kendrick, who are both personal and professional teen experts, have created a book that is informative and useful for anyone who deals with teens, from parents to grandparents to teachers, and even to teens themselves - with or without "nose rings." I heartily recommend this book!