Summary
Part one of Teenagers explored the complexities of the adolescent brain and suggested ways in which parents could "hardwire" their son or daughter for happiness and success. But these years are also a time when children are touched by influences outside the home, so Part 2 is a guide to the social side of growing up. No family can lock out the rest of the world, though sometimes that is tempting. Just when you want to give young Emma or Jamie the benefit of your wisdom and experience, you encounter serious competition. Peer groups, the opposite sex, alcohol, "junior" nightclubs and satanic- sounding rock groups all vie for your child's attention and affection. How can you influence his world when you are no longer at the centre of it?
But this is the challenge of the teenage years. As Peaches Geldof points out opposite, young people must learn to negotiate the world themselves in order to become independent. The articles here explore and explain that world to parents. And guess what - it's not as scary as you might think. Abigail Wild, our fresh-faced feature writer, joined a group of 15-year-olds for a night of clubbing in Glasgow's "goth" hangout, The Cathouse. The revellers there certainly over-indulged - not in vodka or ecstacy but in hugging each other.See the full content of this document
Extract
Introduction
Actual teenagers are very different from the stereotypes ...
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