Blog Tour: Review: For Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice Plus a Giveway!

And while I was reading it, I found myself fluctuating between agreement, understanding, and disbelief. In some ways, it seems we parents are supposed to be above so much according to the teens. When they are hostile and upset, we are to remain calm (let me tell you, I failed miserably at this with my oldest). As I read the suggestions and scenarios, I was kind of feeling like I would never get it right. Even now, I know that I am guilty of rushing in to fix situations instead of encouraging my son to conquer them on his own and I don't listen as closely as I should because it seems like I am always busy. These are things I can fix and Shaunti and Lisa give some suggestions on how to do it (suggestions that came from teens).

I was also encouraged by the final chapter which reinforces that as long as we are trying, even when we make mistakes or don't always connect with our kids, things tend to work out in the end. I know in my own personal life, conversations that I have had with my 21 year old indicate that he thinks we did an okay job parenting him. Sure there are things we could have done better, but as he starts to come out on the other side, he sees that we were trying our best.

So that takes some of the pressure off of me to be perfect and once that pressure is removed, it gives me a chance to sit back and look at this book more as a book of helpful suggestions and ideas and not a manual that is saying...you are so screwed up!

I was surprised to learn that teens want their parents to still set limits. That they do actually want to talk to us. And that they do appreciate our opinions. I found some good tips on how to stay calm and focused. On how to be a better listener and to only help if my offer is accepted. This book reaffirmed something that I already knew: boys and girls do have different things on their mind. And these differences stay with us when we grow older. Which makes me want to go out and get copies of the for men only and for women only books!

An added bonus to this book is that there is a website where you can find even more detailed information that was gleaned by the authors during their research.

I will be keeping a copy of this book so my husband can read it and so I can refer to it in the future. But, luckily for you, the publisher gave me two extra copies to share with my readers! Yep, that's right, you too can learn how to have better relationships with your children that are growing up and becoming amazing adults! All you have to do is the following:

1. Live in the United States (sorry, wish I had the money to send the books overseas)

2. Comment below.

3. That's it...yep, that's really it! Honest!

I will have a random drawing on December 5th at 6 pm! If you are a teenager reading and you want to give a neat gift to your parent, go ahead and sign up! You will both appreciate it!

Good luck!

Oh yeah...and if you can't wait to win this book or if you do wait and don't win, you can just click below to purchase your very own copy!

If you ever been on a tour to Amsterdam, Holland, find a travel site that can get you cheap hotels available in Amsterdam.  There are many nice hotels in Amsterdam to stay so you just have to find which of the Amsterdam hotels is good for you.