John Duffy - The Available Parent: Expert Advice for Raising Successful, Resilient, and Connected Teens and Tweens

Praise for The Available Parent

Duffys advice for parenting adolescents springs from radical optimism, a form of practical spirituality that recommends being open and available to the possibility of change, essentially exchanging fear and the need to control for hope and positive results. Duffy challenges parents to stop micromanaging and judging their kids and instead acknowledge and accept them the way they are, respect their boundaries and abilities, and let them know they have the power to master their own world. Only then can parents be truly available to provide discipline, direction, understanding, and love in an environment that fosters competence and resilience.

Publishers Weekly

Raising a teenager can be just as much of an emotional rollercoaster as being a teenager, but clinical psychologist, certified life coach and parenting expert Duffy assures parents that it doesnt have to be such a turbulent ride for either party. Blending self-reflective exercises for parents with words of wisdom from teens and parents whom Duffy has counseled throughout his career, the author raises valid points about the benefits of being an available parent and offers valuable insight into the unique psyche of teenagers.

Kirkus Reviews

This book is written in a clear, no-nonsense style using observations and examples from Dr. Duffys work with youth and their families. More than anything else, it is obvious that he understands the teenage mind and the psychological and social factors involved in changing children into adultsI highly recommend this book to parents and practitioners alike.

Psychlinks

Dr. Duffy provides a clear, straightforward, doable answer for parents: Stay in touch! Research clearly shows that an open, friendly parent-teen relationship is a major factor in protecting kids from harm. The age-old question for parents of teens has always been: How do I relate to these new kids of minehow should I manage them? The Available Parent provides a clear blueprint for a practical and effective response: Manage the problems you have to, but above all else, stay in touch!

Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, author of 1-2-3 Magic and Surviving Your Adolescents

Dr. John Duffys fresh new concept of availability in parenting is an idea that meets the moment. With the pace of society constantly accelerating, we need The Available Parent now more than ever! Dr. Johns writing is smart, approachable and right on the mark. His blend of practical ideas and colorful examples delivers great insights. Most importantly, I am a better parent thanks to this book.

Eric Langshur, coauthor of We Carry Each Other

Every parent of a child or teen will benefit from keeping this wise book on their nightstand. Its likely they will want it handy to read over and over again.

Judy Ford, author of Every Day Love: The Delicate Art of Caring for Each Other and Wonderful Ways to Love a Child

I couldnt put The Available Parent down because I found my inner voice kept saying Yeah, thats right! or Oh, dang, I wish I had known that when my girls were teens. When I finished reading, I called my two daughters, now in their twenties, and asked them if my husband and I were Available Parents. They both reassured me that we wereand still are. Johns a brilliant writer with keen intuition into how kids think and how parents can, sometimes unknowingly, sabotage their relationship. John has used his vast experience to provide parents with the inside dope into how kids view their lives, and what they really need from their parents to make the leap into becoming mentally healthy young adults. Best of all, John relays their amazing stories of growth in smooth, witty, and helpful prose. Any parent with a childno matter what the ageshould read and learn from this book.

Eileen Norris, contributing writer and editor of the bestselling You: The Smart Patient by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen

John Duffy has written one of the most eye-opening parenting books around, an inspiring, important tool for all parents. From his expertise and experience working with teens, John gives us the key ingredient for a healthy, successful parent-teen relationship being The Available Parent. What a simple yet profound title, and what a rude awakening for me! John masterfully defines available parenting and helps parents stop the unhealthy dance with their kids. He gives excellent insight, advice and approaches to become the effective parent we desire to be. And throughout the book, he uses real-life excerpts from teens discussing their issues so parents can understand what is really going on in their world. This is a must-read and is essential to building a healthy relationship with your teen.

Megan Walls, CEC, ACC, founder of Conscious Connections Coaching

I recently read a great book about parenting teens and tweens called The Available Parent by Dr. John Duffy, and Id like to share some insights from this book with you. Even if you are not currently parenting a teen or tween, I think you will find these insights helpful because they contain advice on how to improve any important relationship in our lives.

Living Compass

What a true gift. This outstanding book truly gives you a blueprint to fully be available to your teen son or daughter. You will marvel at your teens sense of competence, can-do attitude, and improved self-esteem. Teens and parents are both resilient; with the tools provided in the remarkable book The Available Parent, you and your teenager can both enjoy your new and improved relationship.

Dr. Kate Smart Mursau, coauthor of Smart Parenting: How to Raise Happy, Can-Do Kids

Every parent who wants to give it their best shot in working with, and not in opposition to, their teen needs to check in with Dr. John Duffy and apply his Available Parent strategy. As a professional journalist, author, and mom of three teens who writes about parenting, I was so glad to have found Dr. Duffy in time to give me the tools to quickly understand what it means to be an available parent. To my surprise and delight, as I intentionally make myself more available as a mom, my teens are now purposefully reaching out to engage with me! Dr. Duffy is a trusted guide and cool guy. He truly cares and is all about helping parents and their children find the bright light in each other. He helped to open a whole new channel of communication for me with my teens, and allowed me to appreciate their uniqueness and focus on that, instead of the moments that challenge.

Mary Beth Sammons, coauthor of the bestselling Living Life as a Thank You and The Courage Companion as well as author of Second Acts That Change Lives

The Available Parent is a valuable and thought-provoking resource thats filled with many precious lessons and gives parents a unique perspective on cultivating a healthy relationship with their kids.

Psych Central

The best parents are those that let their children be themselves. The Available Parent looks at various styles of parenting and why they are good or bad. Communication and acting as a mentor, for example, are seen as good things, whereas hovering and lecturing are not. Although brief, it gives a thorough going-over of most parenting styles, with notes on how to make the most effective parent.

The idea of parenting is to raise children that become capable adults, but parents are not fully aware of the responsibility that it entails, or get overwhelmed by the responsibility. This book shows parents how to tend to the path between the two extremes, where the responsibility of raising a child is understood, but there is plenty of room for error and even having fun with them. A parent needs to be unafraid of making some mistakes, and this book shows what the more common mistakes to avoid are, as well as excellent tips on how to take advantage of what tools you have. Better yet, it approaches the matter in a friendly, helpful manner. For parents that are worried about the job they are doing, this is an excellent book.