The Angst of Adolescence ─ How to Parent Your Teen (and Live to Laugh About It)

Being a good parent is one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding, jobs a person can have in his or her lifetime. Being the parent of a teen is an especially daunting phase of the journey. As parents begin to notice the significant changes that come with adolescence (physical changes brought about by puberty, the constant angst and moodiness, and of course the classic eye-rolling and the I-know-it-all attitude), they wonder just what happened to their happy, sweet, and affectionate young boy or girl. Parents sit by amazedand often lost and unpreparedas they witness their child morph and mutate into a full-blown pubescent display of emotions.

The Angst of Adolescence: How to Parent Your Teen and Live to Laugh About It, written in a conversational, informative, humorous and relatable style, promises to deliver trustworthy resource for parents of teens who are searching for answers and guidance about how to maneuver their way through this tricky developmental period. Dr. Sara Villanueva, a prominent psychologist specializing in the adolescent years, shares relevant research findings so that parents can be informed of the facts as opposed to making assumptions based on ubiquitous but questionable sources. Most of all it will provide parents of teenagers with prospective in the midst of angst so they can come away with the sense that:

1. They are not alone in their experience of raising teens; many, many people have gone through it and we can all relate to and learn from one another.
   
2. Most of what your teen is feeling and expressing is normal and falls within the expected range of behavior for adolescent development.
   
3. Despite the challenges involved in parenting teens, we should take time to focus on the positive things in life and live with our child through the tough adolescent years so that we emerge on the other side with friendship and a deeper bond.

As a psychologist and mother of four, the author shares both research-based and first-hand advice on how to navigate the teen years and live to laugh about it.

Sara Villanueva, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. As a development psychologist and a mother of four children (three in adolescence), she shares first-hand, real-life experiences of the perilous joys of raising teens. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, and then went on to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. Her area of specialization is in Adolescent Development with a specific focus on Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Parenting from various cultural perspectives. She teaches a range of courses such as Adolescent Psychology, Child Development, Cross Cultural Lifespan Development, Developmental Psychopathology, and Human Sexuality. She also conducts research and has studied teens and their families for years. In addition, she has also published many articles and given a significant number of presentations to both academic and professional organizations around the globe.