THE PARENTING COMPASS: Why Smart Teens Struggle is the book I want to press into the hands of friends. Dr. Susan Blumberg has written an alphabet book for parents—a brilliantly structured, accessible book that paves the path for families to move from conflict to cooperation.

If you have a quirky kid, a child that struggles with executive function, with the various learning differences, with ADHD, with autism, with anxiety or social skills—or simply with with an uneven and rocky adolescence, this is the book you need.

Dr. Susan is often asked what magic skill she has that allows her to connect with teens. But is isn’t magic, it is simply listening. She begins THE PARENTING COMPASS with “A is for Active Listening.” That’s the skill of “listening without planning what you are going to say next; listening to understand, not to correct; listening closely enough that you could repeat—accurately—what your teen just said.”  As she conveys throughout the book, listening and limit-setting work together to create an environment where your child can learn.

Each chapter ends with a “Try This”page, where parents reflect, act and notice. The “Try This” page below is from the “L is for Lens Change” chapter. It is based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Ross Green, that kids do well when they can. When they don’t do well, it isn’t because they don’t care or aren’t trying—it is because they are missing one or more of the skills necessary to do the work.

Dr. Susan, now a life coach, is a former clinical child psychologist with more than four decades helping teens and their families. A nationally recognized expert in twice-exceptionality (those with both giftedness and learning differences), she leads a community of more than 35,000 parents of 2e kids. I have been fortunate to know and work with Dr. Susan for nearly twenty years in support of the 2e community in Denver.

Along with the book, Dr. Susan has downloadable resources for both parents and teens on her website. The book ($12.57) can be purchased from Amazon. I just wish I’d had this book when I was raising kids!