The Grown-Up’s Guide
to Teenage Humans by Josh Shipp aims to show us how to decode their behavior, develop unshakable trust, and raise a
respectable adult. And overrall it delivers.
Josh Shipp was a troubled teen himself. I heard him speak in
Orlando a few years back at the Christian Alliance For Orphans conference. His
presentation was powerful, funny and loaded with compelling information.
Josh spent most of his young life in and out of foster homes
and was so used to being rejected, he made it his goal to get booted out of
each foster home as quickly as possible—and by any means possible. He was good
at it. Until one day, one person changed everything. Rodney, an ordinary guy
was catalyst to changing this troubled teen’s life so simply and yet so
drastically that Shipp became an an expert, an authority and an advocate for
teens.
Drawing from his own experience, education and humor as well
as a myriad of resources, Shipp’s book TheGrown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans covers many relevant topics including:
stages of growth, identity, relationships, communication, education, drugs,
sex, depression, eating disorders, sexting, cutting, hormones, pornography,
bullying…
He seems to hit on just about everything pertinent to
today’s teen culture, and provides guidelines—including potential scenarios and
coversations—on how to navigate it and best reach the teens in our lives.
Josh Shipp’s book almost covers it all. Almost. But there is
something lacking—at least from my perspective as a child advocate working with
troubled kids (Orphans First), and as
an author of a biblical parenting book. The most important ingredient for teens
and adults investing in teens seems to be missing from this book: the God factor.
If Josh Shipp’s goal is to provide practical guidelines
across the spectrum for those of us who love the teens in our lives, the book
is a fabulous tool—a fabulous handbook of wisdom. But if Shipp wants to help us
the caregivers, and help them the teens, to have a higher chance of true
success – eternal success – then
bringing God into the picture would seem a no-brainer—especially coming
from a Christian perspective.
Still, The Grown-Up’sGuide to Teenage Humans clearly pinpoints how to get teens and supplies excellent pointers and pity key comments on
how to help them thrive.
The Grown-Up’s Guide
to Teenage Humans (Harper Wave) can help any parent, foster parent or
caring adult navigate mentoring the teens in their lives. Check it out here.
This article also appears in Assist News.
Janey DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © September 2017
Janey DeMeo is author
of Heaven Help Me Raise These Children!, Biblical Direction for Practical Parenting Issues.
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