What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know: Facing Today's Challenges with Wisdom and Heart

By Debra W. Haffner

Book Overview

Parenting in the 21st century presents a new set of challenges that require new solutions. Like their parents before them, today's parents have to help their children navigate school, friends, crushes, extracurricular activities, and sexuality. But they also face a bewildering new world, driven by ever-evolving technology and media, that frequently thwarts their efforts to raise physically, emotionally, and sexually healthy children. With understanding and clarity, parenting educator Debra Haffner author of the award-winning From Diapers to Dating and Beyond the Big Talk) draws on extensive research to debunk the myths, validate the concerns, and address parents' questions. She provides concrete examples, practical advice, and enlightening anecdotes, and explains what parents can do to get it right today. "The good news is that even in the most challenging circumstances, good parenting seems to make a difference," writes Haffner. "The choices we make can greatly increase our chances of raising a child who becomes a happy, productive adult."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 155704726X
• ISBN13: 9781557047267
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

WHat Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know

Debra has done it again. This book is thoughtful, insightful and interesting, offering new research-based information about what parents are confronting today. As someone who facilitates parenting groups I found her six tools for "Affirming Parenting" very useful and practical. I will incorporate them into my future workshops. This is a wonderful book to add to your collection of parenting resources whether you are a parent. a library, a mental health professional, school personnel or anyone who in involved with families.

Add this to your parenting library!

Debra Haffner is as accessible in writing as she is in person. She takes a lot of the fear out of examining all the "buzz" stories we are bombarded with daily as parents. I found this book to be both practical and full of perspective, especially for parents of teenagers... however I would recommend it to parents of children of all ages as part of their parenting library.

Excellent Help for Parents

This is an excellent, practical, reassuring book for parents. Being a parent today can cause a lot of anxiety, and parents understandably worry about doing the best thing for their children. Debra Haffner offers solid, practical advice. She doesn't catastrophize about the state of the world but helps parents understand the challenges their children face. She shows how parents can lovingly guide their children and help keep them safe. This is very solid advice, and I am recommending this book to all the parents I know.

Excellent! A must read

Aptly titled, this book offers thoughtful reassurance and guidance to parents as we navigate parenting's joys and challenges. Haffner's discussion is realistic, well-organized and addresses issues that parents today must deal with to help our children grow into emotionally healthy adults. As both a parent, and a consultant and educator to schools and organizations that provide services for children, I found "What Every 21st Century Parent Needs to Know" to be refreshing and right on target.

I am a therapist who works with parents.

I am a therapist who has worked with parents for more than 40 years, and I am delighted to add this to the excellent parenting books that I recommend to parents. Haffner shies away from none of the critical issues, yet her research and tone are both rational and reassuring. This is an excellent complement to her previous fine works (from Diapers to Dating, and Beyond the Big Talk.) I recommend it most highly.