The Sacred Flight of the Teenager: A Parent's Guide to Stepping Back and Letting Go

by Susan Smith Kuczmarski

Adolescence is a time of confusion and contradictions for teens and parents alike. Dozens of organizations are devoted to the problems of dysfunctional families and adolescents...as they should be. But few resources are avialable for parents struggling to proactively deal with the everyday problem of raising teenagers. "The Sacred Flight of the Teenager" provides the gentle, yet enthusiastic support parents need to help their teenagers develop strength, become independent, and grow into responsible adults. This book is filled with practical guidance on how to nurture a teen's confidence within a loving, supportive family environment. Though based on sound theory, formed in the author's 30 years' experience as an authority on family culture, this book doesn't dwell in abstraction. Interviews with more than 100 "veteran" parents and with teens who earned their wings by meeting the daily challenges of real-life flight---as well as anecdotes from her own home front---all combine to infuse the book with a sense of reality and relatability that can only come from voices out of the "front lines." This book gives its profound insights and down-to-earth tools in short, easy-to-read vignettes that illuminate the "sacred flight"---the life journey every child takes through adolescence and into adulthood. Written with kindliness, empathy, and good humor, in prose that speaks to the heart and gets to the heart of the matter, "The Sacred Flight of the Teenager" will be a wise an supportive guide to every parent who reads it.

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ccdemaio]

This book is good to review all that you already know as a parent. But her voice is a bit too pedantic after a while. It began to annoy me. Thank goodness it is written at the 4th grade level so that skimming was easy. I just kept putting it down thinking, oh puhleez! But a dear friend gave it to me, so I read it. I think perhaps the author came to her kids’ school. Oh the things we do for our friends!

[Jennifer Wardrip]

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski is a social scientist who has spent twenty-five years as an educator, lecturer, and authority on family culture. The great thing about THE SACRED FLIGHT OF THE TEENAGER is that, unlike so many other educational guidebooks out there, Dr. Kuczmarski doesn't dwell on dysfunctional families, but those normal parents and teens
working together to survive adolescence.

The book is divided into the follow categories and sub-categories:

Part 1--Letting Go: The Sacred Step; Pain; The Art of Argument; Tai Chi; On Stepping in and Stepping Back; A Feast of Laughter; Superteen Takes Flight; and Turtle Medicine.

Part 2--Keeping in Touch: The Wisdom of Goats; Values; Changing Values; Hello in There; Tips for Talking to Teens; Letting Feelings Out; The Judge and the Detective; and Buried Treasure.

Part 3--Exploring: Surfing Life; Rude and Cantankerous; Fending for Themselves; Gunny Sacks; Freedom; Nourishing Mistakes and Hard-Won Lessons; Primer on Drugs; and Ground Rules.

Part 4--Acquiring Skills: A Boat on the Water; Maneuvering in the Adult World; Behind the Wheel; Work Discoveries; The Spirit of Giving; Relationships; Singing Heart--First Love, Passion, and Sex; and Looking Ahead Together.

Part 5--Connecting: Witches, Aunties, and Guides; Play and Nourishment; Creating Families of Their Own; Becoming a Group Member; Learning Leadership; Beach Glass and Exploring; Mental Shift; and Self-Acceptance.

I have always been a big believer that it is my job, as a parent, to help my children develop strong morals and values that they can take with them when it's time to go out on their own. Dr. Kuczmarski reiterates those beliefs, and then provides practical advice on how to go about letting your teenager take off into the world. This is the perfect book for parents struggling to find a balance between being helpful and being overprotective and judgmental, and for teens wanting to gain knowledge on how to interact with their parents.