Book Review: Tough Guys and Drama Queens by Mark Gregston



Tough Guys and Drama Queens by Mark Gregston offers today's parents a manual to go through the teenage and pre-teen years.This book is full of insights and advice on how to guide your child(ren)through their teenage years. The author, Mark Gregston, is the founder of Heartlight Ministries, a Christian residential counseling center, and has worked with teenagers for 38 years. Gregston has 2 adult children of his own and 3 grandchildren besides all of the young people that he has worked with through the years. He puts abundant experience and knowledge into this "how-to" book with techniques and wisdom to help you guide your children.

This book is divided into 3 sections. The first section talks about today's culture and the unique challenges that many of today's young people face. The second part talks about parenting practices to avoid. The third part talks about parenting practices that really work.

Additionally, 2 appendixes are included. The first one offers conversation starters. This section offers a long list of questions that you could use with a young person to get to know them better. For example, What's the most fun thing you've ever done? and What would be one thing I could do for you to make your life better?  The second section offers detailed discussion starters for times of conflict. I found both of these to be helpful.

I personally didn't learn too much in the first section of the book that I didn't already know from watching my the young people around me and watching today's news. However, I did find the second and third parts to be quite helpful. I took notes through the 3rd section and found several things that I would refer back to and try as time goes on. If kids this age, came with a manual, I think Gregston's book would be one that I would use again and again. I requested this book as a hard copy so that I could mark it up and refer to it again. . .and I know that I will. I highly recommend it to all Christian parents of today's pre-teens and teens.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review.

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