New Book Admits That Teens Can Sometimes Be Hard to Love

Loving HARD When They’re Hard to Love, Essays on Raising Teens in Today’s Complex, Chaotic World by Whitney Fleming, is not a parenting book in the traditional sense but rather the story of becoming a parent and how that role changes and grows, just as a child does from infancy through teenager.

The book is separated into three sections. Section one recounts the struggle. Though it often comes as a surprise one day, parenting teenagers is unlike anything you have done before. Like most other parents, you will feel like you don’t know what you are doing and that you are making mistakes at every turn.

Section two reminds you that you are not alone. Even though parents of teens talk less about the struggles we all have them. These essays, mostly written in the form of a “letter” to a teenager, relay truths about life and the parent/child relationship. There is some gently offered advice that is just as useful for adults as for teens.

The final section brings the focus to lessons learned through parenting teens. Spoiler: parenting teens is humbling.

While loyal followers of Whitney Fleming will have read many of these essays before, they tell a more complete story compiled in book form. Together they present a comforting truth – there is no “right way” to parent teens. We are all doing our best and despite our mistakes and perceived shortcomings, we will all be okay.