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Conversations with the Wise Uncle

Not many parents feel comfortable talking to their kids about sex and other momentous topics. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and parents know they’re not experts on every subject. Besides, times have changed, and they remember their own teen years as a confusing time of life, a mixed bag of issues, anxiety and fun. So even if adults care, they may not have the confidence to say the right things.

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., has interviewed dozens of adults about their teen experiences. Amazingly, only a few said they benefited from anything like “the talk.”

Today, teenagers need an even more comprehensive series of “heads-up” talks. To help parents cover the important bases with their teen boy, Dr. Coates has written Conversations with the Wise Uncle, an upbeat, engaging series of stories about Ray, who mentors his nephew Chris during adolescence. It features several conversations that take place during the boy’s teen years.

The book is inspired by one adult who was lucky to have such a talk. When he was 12, his uncle took him out for breakfast, where they shared a long talk.  In a friendly, casual way, his uncle told him what he could expect during his teen years—peer pressure, risk-taking behavior and the consequences of sex, drugs and alcohol. The man said this talk was the most important conversation of his life, that it helped him steer clear of all kinds of trouble. He said having an uncle who leveled with him about the consequences of poor decisions was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him.

Whether you use the book as a guide to prepare for discussions with your teenager, or you give the book to your teen to supplement these discussions, Conversations with the Wise Uncle will be an unprecedented, indispensable resource.