My interview last night with Vanessa Van Petten was enlightening and although my own daughter has yet to hit her teenage years, it’s good to know that there’s a resource out there for parents to see things from the teen perspective.  Vanessa wrote her parenting book, You’re Grounded!  when she was just 17 years old after being grounded by her father.  She started it as a response to the poor advice she found in other parenting books her Dad was reading at the time. 

She interviewed over 700 teenagers and parents for the book, and now has a website and blog, www.radicalparenting.com  which she writes with 75 other teenage writers.  She is truly giving parenting advice from the teen perspective. 

Her belief and commitment to honesty and open communication is evident throughout her book and the interview as well.  She stresses to parents that snooping through their teen’s rooms and personal items is a big mistake because trust is so important and can take years to regain once it’s been breached.    She offers realistic alternatives to nagging teens about everything from who they hang out with to the amount of time they spend studying.  And she cautions parents:  the more you restrict and hold your teenager back, the more they will want to explode when outside of your supervision. 

Her book addresses everything from drugs and alcohol, to teen dating and other social pressures.  And she not only offers advice to parents but speaks directly to teens as well with advice on the importance of building trust with your parents, being respectful of their rules and apologizing when you are wrong.

Her site is a great resource for teens and parents alike and tackles current trends and topics impacting today’s youth. 

Listen to the interview

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