Making Sense of Life

A Guidebook for Teens and Parents

Teenagers often turn to their peers to ask for advice, but have no idea how to put it into practice. Advice seems easy to come by but hard to fit into an exact situation.

Making Sense of Life: A Guidebook for Teens and Parents uses real-life situations and personal stories to help guide teens toward asking the right questions and making the best decisions for every circumstance.

Teens will learn how to:

Create a journal that gives much-needed perspective on frustration and anger
Avoid the self-perpetuating cycle of low self-esteem and low productivity
Communicate better with parents and help guide their own parents to communicate more effectively with them

Using activities, writing prompts, and list-making tools, Making Sense of Life shares the secrets to working together -- rather than in opposition -- as parent and teen. Each chapter concludes with key thoughts for both parent and teen to build their knowledge base with real-world applications. This practical guide full of life-changing insights will help navigate the complexities of social expectations, family relationships, and, most importantly, understanding oneself.

About the Author

As an award-winning educator with more than forty years of experience as a teacher and school administrator, Rich Patterson, PhD, has a passion for helping kids and their families uncover abilities that lead to positive, fulfilling lives. Dr. Patterson regularly leads self-help workshops helping teens and preteens discover their desire to succeed. He is a college faculty member where he works with teachers and school administrators, teaching them how to work with kids and parents, and is a past national president of the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA). He resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Bev, where they enjoy hiking, fishing, and snowmobiling.