Thirteen to Nineteen

Adolescence creeps quietly into the life of a child bringing many changes and much inner conflict. The author sheds light on the familiar problems of loneliness, meeting with others and relating to them, difficulties with parents, awakening of sexuality, drinking and drugs. Is adolescence just a burst of freedom lasting only a few tender and often chaotic and painful years, or can this freedom be preserved and grow in spite of the narrowing-down of options as adulthood approaches? This is the vital question each adolescent faces. Writing directly for the parents involved, Julian Sleigh shows the young person awakening to make decisions out of his or her own sense of responsibility and feelings. If parents are sufficiently aware of this time of trial and error, they will be able to show trust and confidence in the emerging personality.