Publisher's Synopsis
The modern day stress placed upon today's preteens and teenagers is astronomical. The numerous expectations that our young people must face daily are astonishing. The pressures range from top physical appearance to a perfect grade point average, along with expertise in a sport or other extra curricular activities. The burden to survive in this highly competitive society, is impossible for many young people. In essence, this is why so many adolescents turn to drugs and alcohol. Many other teenagers suffer from anxiety and depression. As parents we need to equip our children with many psychological, and physical tools to survive in today's modern middle and high school social jungles. Within the last twenty years, children have been expected to mature at such a fast pace. The baby boomer generation has created a very high level of expectations for their children to succeed. As a result, many preteens and teenagers have not been able to compete in their highly competitive world. It truly is a subculture, and if a person deviates from the so called "cool mold" they can be ostracized from an entire group.
As parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles we can help guide the children in our lives. Every child has a special gift that begins to emerge as early as four or five years of age. There are simple observations that a caregiver can begin to notate when watching children.
This is the main premise and message throughout this book. When a young person pursues something they do well, and begins early in their preteen years it can make all the difference in the young person's life. There needs to be a balance between positive reinforcement, and accomplishment in a teenagers life. Identifying a young person's gift early can means the difference between surviving these turbulent years with much less frustration and worry. It's a very competitive, and complicated world that today's young people must survive in each day.
In many socialistic and communistic societies the government chooses children with special gifts, and educates them to succeed. In America, our culture expects the parents to identify and enhance their children's special talents, along with everything else that must be done. This book explains the how and the why to achieve this task.
