The Blessing of a B Minus: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Resilient Teenagers
New York Times bestselling author, internationally known clinical psychologist, and lecturer Wendy Mogel returns with a revelatory new book on parenting teenagers.\ Mogel’s sage advice on parenting young children has struck a chord with thousands of readers and made her one of today’s most trusted parenting authorities. Now, in a long-awaited follow-up, Mogel addresses the question she hears most frequently: what to do when those children become teenagers, when their sense of independence...
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They might dispute whether Twitter or video games is the greater threat, but most parents today agree that they're worried that their kids are slipping away. Author Wendy Mogel (The Blessing of a Skinned Knee) is one parenting expert who believes that we shouldn't allow our anxieties about wayward youth to get the better of us. Her wisely titled The Blessing of a B Minus lightly applies Jewish teachings about character building to problems that modern families confront. This is a book for non-Jewish readers too: The principles that Mogel teaches (composure, detachment, acceptance, moderation, integrity, authority, and delight) transcend religions. Publishers Weekly Social-clinical psychologist Mogel concentrates on the hidden blessings of raising teenagers in this engaging follow-up to The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. Intermingling wisdom and guidelines from Judaism and adolescent psychology, Mogel compares the teen years to the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. As kids wander in the "desert" of adolescence, she advises parents to offer counsel and guidance, demonstrate empathy without entanglement, and resist the urge to intervene or rescue. In chapters peppered with true-to-life examples and humor, Mogel examines the blessings of a B minus, staying up late, hangovers, breaking the rules, and a variety of other teen topics, urging parents not just to look on the bright side, but to help kids benefit from the learning opportunities inherent in difficult situations. Some of her advice may be challenging for readers to follow: for instance, she recommends that parents refrain from broaching the subject of college until grade 11. She also encourages parents to let teens learn from their own mistakes and to respect their yetzer hara (aggressive impulse), while seeking balance with a sense of teshuvah (repentance). Mogel's compassion and authenticity will ring true with parents of all faiths facing the tumultuous teen years. (Oct.)
Author's Note xiii\ 1 The Hidden Blessings of Raising Teenagers 1\ 2 The Blessing of Strange Fruit: Accepting the Unique Glory of Your Teen 9\ 3 The Blessing of a Bad Attitude: Living Graciously with the Chronically Rude 29\ 4 The Blessing of a B Minus: The Real Lessons of Homework, Chores, and Jobs 49\ 5 The Blessing of a Lost Sweater: Managing Your Teen's Materialism, Entitlement, and Carelessness 71\ 6 The Blessing of Problems to Solve: Letting Your Teen Learn from Bad Judgment and Stressful Situations 95\ 7 The Blessing of Staying Up Late: Making Time for Rest and Fun 115\ 8 The Blessing of Breaking the Rules: Real Life as Ethics Lab 135\ 9 The Blessing of a Hangover: A Sanctified Approach to Substances and Sex 155\ 10 The Courage to Let Them Go 177\ Acknowledgments 181\ Index 183
\ From Barnes & NobleThey might dispute whether Twitter or video games is the greater threat, but most parents today agree that they're worried that their kids are slipping away. Author Wendy Mogel (The Blessing of a Skinned Knee) is one parenting expert who believes that we shouldn't allow our anxieties about wayward youth to get the better of us. Her wisely titled The Blessing of a B Minus lightly applies Jewish teachings about character building to problems that modern families confront. This is a book for non-Jewish readers too: The principles that Mogel teaches (composure, detachment, acceptance, moderation, integrity, authority, and delight) transcend religions.\ \ \ \ \ \ Publishers WeeklySocial-clinical psychologist Mogel concentrates on the hidden blessings of raising teenagers in this engaging follow-up to The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. Intermingling wisdom and guidelines from Judaism and adolescent psychology, Mogel compares the teen years to the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. As kids wander in the "desert" of adolescence, she advises parents to offer counsel and guidance, demonstrate empathy without entanglement, and resist the urge to intervene or rescue. In chapters peppered with true-to-life examples and humor, Mogel examines the blessings of a B minus, staying up late, hangovers, breaking the rules, and a variety of other teen topics, urging parents not just to look on the bright side, but to help kids benefit from the learning opportunities inherent in difficult situations. Some of her advice may be challenging for readers to follow: for instance, she recommends that parents refrain from broaching the subject of college until grade 11. She also encourages parents to let teens learn from their own mistakes and to respect their yetzer hara (aggressive impulse), while seeking balance with a sense of teshuvah (repentance). Mogel's compassion and authenticity will ring true with parents of all faiths facing the tumultuous teen years. (Oct.)\ \ \ From the Publisher“Wise, witty and well-written, this book is a treasury of common sense for anyone dealing with adolescents.”\ —Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People\ “Wendy Mogel's signature humor, humility and wisdom are back in full force in The Blessing of a B Minus, which will bring much-needed sanity to parents of teens. Hers is the voice that every parent dreams of finding while wading through the confusion of childrearing today: calm, knowing, empathetic and informed both by professional knowledge and personal experience. Her insights are infused with a widely appealing kind of faith that will strike a universal chord in parents seeking both a moral and practical compass. This is a book that will be re-read over and over again.”\ —Judith Warner, author of Perfect Madness and We’ve Got Issues\ "We should all give thanks for The Blessing of a B Minus. Like Wendy Mogel herself, this book is funny and full of common sense. It will give parents something they need: perspective on the complicated and often maddening business of raising adolescents."\ —Michael Thompson, Ph.D., author of It's a Boy: Your Son's Development from Birth to Eighteen\ “Wendy Mogel’s ability to make old wisdom new is uncanny. She is herself a wise woman. The parents of America – and therefore the children, too – should be grateful for her.”\ —Leon Wieseltier\ “In this remarkably frank, helpful book Wendy Mogel offers practical advice and comforting perspective on all the issues, large and small, that families of all faiths and backgrounds confront as their children move through adolescence. Here is a voice of humor, reason, and compassionate sanity in a culture driven by hyper-competitiveness, hyper-vigilance, and hyper-activity. The Blessing of a B Minus inspires and consoles. Most importantly, this very readable book gives us the tools we need to become more conscious, confident parents. This is not Jewish wisdom, it is human wisdom, and I for one am a most grateful recipient.”\ —Katrina Kenison, author of The Gift of an Ordinary Day\ \ \
