I am a dad of three, ages 10, 13, and 15. My oldest, our daughter is exploring, testing, and breaking boundaries, rules and expectations in typical teenage rebellious fashion. I was not ready for how brazen or reckless it would be when we caught two boys at her girls’ slumber party. The fact that they scaled my house to reach a second story window three times (that have been confessed to) via knotted blankets would be comical if I wasn’t fuming with disbelief and anger. What was once arguments of bed times, chores, and which movies she can watch are now replaced with exasperated and broken trust over alcohol and vaping, sex, suicidal ideations, skipping classes, self harm, dick pics and nudes…
It’s heartbreaking and all I know to do is try and get our family time back.
We all started individual therapy in January which has been good, but I know we need to coalesce and connect as a family, and my initial reach for getting us all back on the same page and invite voices of wisdom and positivity in our home. So I reached for the book shelf, hoping to give my kids and us parents a higher standard, a guiding light, some source of inspiration or common vocabulary that speaks to making good choices, whether it’s through a story or self help, I just need some recommendations.
Much love and much appreciation for any and all!
by JudoJedi
1 Comment
Oh gosh that’s such a tough situation. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Maybe Crank by Ellen Hopkins. I’m not sure how well it’d work for family read aloud. Maybe it’d be better suited to family book club, as it’s quite a visual book. It’s about a 16 year old girl’s descent into drug addiction. The main character is based on the author’s daughter. I read it when I was in my early teens and going through a rebellious phase (though not as intense as your daughter’s). It definitely had a big impact