The Blessing of A B Minus: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Resilient Teenagers

"Wise, witty, and well-written, this book is a treasury of common sense for anyone dealing with adolescents."

"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."

"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."

"Engaging...Peppered with true-to-life examples and humor...Mogel's compassion and authenticity will ring true with parents of all faiths facing the tumultuous teen years."

"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."

"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."

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, their sense of independence and entitlement grows, the pressure to compete and succeed skyrockets, and communication becomes fraught with obstacles.

With warmth, wit, and her signature combination of Jewish teachings and psychological research, Mogel helps parents ably navigate the often rough journey through the teenage years and guide children to become confident, resilient young adults. By viewing the frustrating and worrisome elements of adolescence as blessings, Mogel reveals that they are, in fact, necessary steps in psychological growth and character development to be met with faith, detachment, and a sense of humor rather than over-involvement and anxiety. Mogel gives parents the tools to do so and offers reassuring spiritual and ethical advice on

-why influence is more effective than control,

-teenage narcissism,

-living graciously with rudeness,

-the value of ordinary work,

-why risk is essential preparation for the post-high school years,

-when to step in and when to step back, and

-a sanctified approach to sex and substances.

An important and inspiring book that will fortify parents through the teenage years, The Blessing of a B Minus is itself a blessing.