The GrownUp's Guide to Teenage Humans How to Decode Their Behavior, Develop Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult

Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child found that every kid who succeeds in the face of adversity has had at least one committed relationship with a supportive adult. But Josh Shipp didn’t need Harvard to understand that. As an at-risk foster kid, Shipp faced a bleak future that would likely have included prison or homelessness—until he met Rodney, the grown-up who changed his life. Now, in The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans, Shipp shows us how to be that caring adult in a teenager’s life. Stressing the need for mutual respect, trust, and encouragement, he identifies the three key mind-sets for understanding teens. He breaks down the distinct phases of teenage life, examines the challenges at each phase, and offers revelatory stories that take us deep inside the teen brain. Full of field-tested, game-changing strategies from top professionals and word-for-word scripts to troubleshoot more than twenty common teen issues, including bullying, broken trust, drugs, cell phones, and sex, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans lays out unflinchingly practical ways to make a difference in a teen’s life. As Shipp reminds us, raising a respectable adult comes down to investing in teens and giving them the boundaries, time, and support they need to thrive. Visit OneCaringAdult.com to learn more and for free resources. Nautilus Gold Award Winner: Parenting & Family A practical guide to understanding teens from bestselling author and global youth advocate Josh Shipp. In 2015, Harvard researchers found that every child who does well in the face of adversity has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult. But Josh Shipp didn’t need Harvard to know that. Once an at-risk foster kid, he was headed straight for trouble until he met the man who changed his life: Rodney, the foster parent who refused to quit on Shipp and got him to believe in himself. Now, in The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans, Shipp shows all of us how to be that caring adult in a teenager’s life. Stressing the need for compassion, trust, and encouragement, he breaks down the phases of a teenage human from sixth to twelfth grade, examining the changes, goals, and mentality of teenagers at each stage. Shipp offers revelatory stories that take us inside the teen brain, and shares wisdom from top professionals and the most expert grown-ups. He also includes practice scripts that address tough issues, including: FORGIVENESS: What do I do when a teen has been really hurt by someone and it’s not their fault? COMMUNICATION: How do I get a teen to talk to me? They just grunt. TRUST: My teen blew it. My trust is gone. Where do we go from here? BULLYING: Help! A teen (or their friend) is being harassed. DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS: Drugs. Death. Sex. Oh my. Written in Shipp’s playfully authoritative, no-nonsense voice, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans tells his story and unpacks practical strategies that can make a difference. Ultimately, it's not about shortcuts or magic words—as Shipp reminds us, it’s about investing in kids and giving them the love, time, and support they need to thrive. And that means every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.