The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens: Strategies for Unlocking Your Child’s Full Potential

by Douglas Haddad

Are you concerned or frustrated with the choices your child makes when it comes to their peer groups, study habits, and use of social media? Do you feel your child is pushing you away and your connection is weakening? Are you unsure of the next steps you should take to help your child succeed? A whole new set of parenting concerns arise during tween and teenhood that can be overwhelming for any parent. Tweens and Teens Unlimited offers a step-by-step plan for raising your adolescent through this tumultuous time. Douglas Haddad provides specific, proven tools for you to help your child become a problem solver and grow to be smart, successful, and self-disciplined. In Tweens and Teens Unlimited, you will: .Discover the secrets of effective communication with your child .Learn the techniques to stop behavior problems right in their tracks when they happen .Know the strategies to best motivate your child and unlock their potential .Find out how to set appropriate limits and hold your child accountable for their actions .Understand today s child-limiting challenges and the solutions for handling them with your child Every parent wants the best for their child, and these years can be fraught with challenges: bullying, violence, gambling, sex, smoking, alcohol, substance use, eating disorders, depression, suicide, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, etc. Making sense of these challenges, this book offers exercises for incorporating the ten child unlimited tools into your parenting style and anecdotes to illustrate strategies and techniques. Supported by current research, the tools found in these pages will serve as a guide for any family with tweens or teens."

Genres: Parenting

286 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2017

About the author

Douglas Haddad is an award-winning middle school science teacher, best-selling author, parenting and education advisor, international speaker, and award-winning filmmaker. He is the author of "The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens" and the children's picture book "Mya McLure, The Brave Science Girl: The Toad Cave." Haddad has been awarded the 2016-2017 “Teacher of the Year” in his Connecticut school district, a 2017 finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year, and has served as a Teacher-Ambassador in Public Education in the State of Connecticut. Haddad received the prestigious 2026 Innovative Teacher of the Year Award from The Henry Ford Center. He was also a finalist for the 2023 Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Haddad was awarded a 2026 Toshiba America Foundation grant for STEM innovation in the classroom and recognized as a 2020-2021 Fund for Teachers Fellow.

Haddad has taught over 3,000 students in his 26 years as an educator, working with children from all different backgrounds and abilities, and has helped them transition from being kids into young adults.

Douglas Haddad grew up in Wolcott, Connecticut, where he was a three sport varsity athlete in high school. Growing up, his writing caught the attention of his talented and gifted teacher who suggested that he submit his work for publication. Haddad went on to receive the "Young Author's Award" in his town and went on to write many short stories, which included horror and murder mysteries. Haddad graduated magna cum laude from Central Connecticut State University receiving the Academic Honors Award for graduating first in his class with a Bachelor of Science in biology/secondary education and a Master of Science in biology. He also graduated summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport with a Master of Science in human nutrition. Furthermore, he has a sixth year certificate in educational leadership and administration. Haddad was inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi as a lifetime member.

Haddad went on to become a middle school teacher and also spent his spare time writing for online websites and magazines. He has written over 200 published articles in the realm of parenting, self-help, science, and health and wellness for the likes of About, Demand Media, Livestrong, Men's Exercise, Parenting Special Needs, etc. His work has received high acclaim from the likes of New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson, Marci Shimoff, and Dr. Bernie Siegel.

Douglas is a regular guest expert on television, a blogger, contributing writer, and has been featured in many national print and online outlets. He has worked as a family coach, mentor, personal trainer, nutrition counselor, and tai chi ch'uan and reiki master. He is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist for elite athletes.

In addition to his work as an author and educator, Douglas Haddad is a modern-day Renaissance man who has written, directed, and produced the award-winning short film "Butterfield." Furthermore, he has been on stage singing, playing piano, composing music, writing screenplays, performing voice-overs for various companies and products, and acting in theatrical performances, film, television, and commercials over the years.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was divided into two parts. The first part was on ten tools for parenting. I found this section to be extremely helpful. The chapters were short and to the point. Not everything was new, but I walked away with a very helpful parenting tip that I've already been using successfully and easily with my teen and tween boys. I'm considering buying a copy because I think my husband would really benefit from this section. If this was the whole book, I'd give it 4 stars. My only complaint about it was that it felt more appropriate for parents of kids aged 8-14 and not for older teens. I was skeptical at first because it doesn't appear that the author is or was ever the parent of a teen, but was pleasantly surprised that this didn't really matter other than the content not quite what it needed to be to be marketed for parents of teens.

The second half was only two stars for me. It delved into the serious problems that kids face today. It felt more like a lecture on drugs, alcohol, depression, eating disorders, etc. There was also a big chapter on smoking, but according to my 16 year old, teens aren't really smoking so much as vaping, so it made a lot of that section irrelevant. I feel like as a parent I'm already constantly warned and bombarded with parenting info on these things. I needed more practical teen advice like how to give them technological privileges like phones without making them social media crazed zombies, or how to get them to stop using bad language or how to build positive sibling bonds. I didn't really get anything out of the second half and skimmed most of it.

Overall, the first part is def worth the read, but skim the second half.

[Short & Sweet Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, with most tricky topics discussed. But the book needed to be more concise - a lot was skirted over - I was looking for more tools to work with!

[Leslie Jonsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book on how to set limits and raise your middle to high school age child. There were a lot of good tips in this, and information I wasn't expecting on why children seem to be acting out and not doing as well as they used to, such as abuse, neglect and bullying.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a parent and as someone who works in a school with a diverse group of teens. It was an interesting read and while I didn't learn a lot of new things, it was good to read this all together in one unified location. The author uses lots of examples and personal experiences to make the writing more interesting and not just a lecture. There are useful questions and scenarios to make you think about the right approach for tweens and teens in a multitude of areas from gambling, bullying, and drinking, to relationship issues.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I wasn’t so sure about it when I checked it out at our library because oftentimes I find parenting tween and teen books to be smug and dry, but this one was genuine and thoughtful and realistic to what children are facing today. The ideas presented in this book are ideas that we already implement in our home but there were a few good ones we’ve never thought about and so I’m pretty glad about that.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Raising teens and tweens to become healthy, loving, and independent individuals is a process filled with pitfalls and challenges’

Connecticut author Douglas Haddad graduated magna cum laude from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology/secondary education and a master’s degree in biology. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport with a second master’s degree in human nutrition and was inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi as a lifetime member. He is an award-winning middle school teacher, author, and parenting and education expert. He has a long history as an educator, working with children from all different backgrounds and abilities as well as as a coach, personal trainer, wellness expert, nutrition counselor, tai chi ch'uan and reiki master, one-on-one mentor, and tutor. He is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist for elite athletes. He ‘rounds out’ his life on stage singing, playing piano, writing music, performing voiceovers for various companies and products, and acting in theatrical performances, film, television, and commercials over the years, and has been featured as a regular guest expert on FOX, NBC, ABC, and ION television

On the premise that “Children are living in a ‘war on childhood,’ where problems no longer are viewed as opportunities to problem- solve, but rather an ‘enrichment opportunity’ at every turn. Our children are over-scheduled, distracted by technology, and exposed to so much so fast. We need to help overwhelmed parents and educators to navigate this overwhelming, frenetic-paced society” Douglas proceeds to share his tool set for nurturing smart successful and self disciplined teens and tweens – ‘Be the boss by sharing power with your child, Use empathy and consequences. Kick your kid’s butt effectively – but not literally. Give your child the license to problem ownership, Get your kid iMotivated. And at the same time he realistically alerts parents to the challenges they face - How to take the “bull” out of bullying and address youth violence, How sex can change a child’s life forever, Bad habits: gambling, alcohol, drugs, smoking, Depression and suicidal tendencies, Eating disorders, physical inertia, and health issues.’

Douglas arranges this superb guide into two parts - Part I - Ten “Child Unlimited” Tools for Unlocking Your Child’s Full Potential - Use Empathy and Consequences!, Be Cool and See the Child in You!, “Monkey See, Monkey Do,” It’s Up to You!, Be the Boss by Sharing Power with Your Child!, “Kick Your Kid’s Butt” Effectively!, Use the Right Style to Shape Your Child!, Be on a Positive Wavelength with Your Child!, Give your child the license to “Leadership & Problem Ownership”!, Get Your Kid “iMotivated”!, and Have Your Child Achieve the Goal by “Ready, Set, Grow”! In Part II he addresses ‘Ten Child Limiting’ Challenges to Be Aware of and How to Best Handle Them - Bullying: Take the “Bull” out of Bullying, Youth Violence: The Effects of the Media and Violent Video Gaming on you child on Your Child, Gambling: The Invisible, Yet Insidiously Growing Addiction, Sex: How It Can Change Your Child’s and Your Life Forever, Drug Abuse: The Seductive Gateway Addiction, Alcohol: Educate Early to Prevent a Depressing Future, Smoking: Why Kids Start and What You Need to Do to Prevent It, Depression and Suicide: The Warning Signs to Know That Could Save Your Child’s Life , Eating Disorders: Why (Not) Eating Yourself Skinny Can Be Life-Threatening, Poor Eating Habits and Physical Inactivity: What Needs to Be Done to Bring Your Child to Health.

Yes, there are other ‘parenting guides’ available, but Douglas Haddad’s book tops them all – smart, practical, stern yet accessible, and a very well written book to boot! Highly Recommended.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have teens yet, 3 years away, but I know that time is coming. It is never to early to preemptively plan for the future. I was on a week and a half vacation and spent a lot of time driving across county, so I had lots of time to dive into this book. It was one of those books that was perfect for taht, as I could pick it up and read a bit here and a bit there.

There is so much to love about this book:

-The way it was laid out makes it easy to reference what you want to know/learn or access what you need to read about based on life circumstances.
-Personal stories that make the content easy to relate to.
-Allows parent and child to find effective ways to talk/relate to each other.
-Cover lots of important topics like: sex, violence, smoking, alcohol/drug use (just to nane a few).
-It is strength based.
-Easy technique that can be practically applied to real life.
-Calls for accountability for behaviors.
-Researched and thorough content.
-Too many other reasons to list.

This book is a great guide to helping both parent and child navigate through the preteen and teen years. Kids may not come with an owners manual, but we can find way to figure out easier and more effective ways to parent.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read that covers a verity of topics important to parents and others working with teens and teens. I just didn’t feel I learned much of anything new. I myself am an educator with 20+ years experience with a tween, teen, and elementary boys of my own. I’m always looking for new resources as, even though I’ve worked with this age group for years, it’s my first time raising kids of these ages. I think if you are not very well-informed or do not have much experience with youth, this could be a useful book. As for me, I can’t say I learned much that was new to me. The personal stories and stories of teens enhance the information pretty well. I just had trouble getting parenting advice (& there’s more info than advice, I felt) from someone who doesn’t seem to necessarily have parenting/parenting counseling education or experience. So 2.5/3 stars for the info in general but not much more for me personally.