Conversations with the Wise Uncle

The idea for Conversations with the Wise Uncle was inspired by a story the author's best friend told him. When his friend was 12, his uncle took him out for breakfast and told him what to expect during his teen years. He described the physical changes. He talked about peer pressure, risk-taking behavior and the consequences of sex, drugs and alcohol. Afterward, his uncle said, "Now I want you to promise me something. When your friends want you to go along with them and something inside you doesn't feel right, I want you to stop and think about what could happen. I want you to remember the things we talked about. Will you do that?" His friend said this talk with his uncle was the most important conversation of his life, that it helped him steer clear of all kinds of trouble during his teen years. The author's research confirms that few adults ever received such a talk when they were young, and today it's still rare for parents to do a good job of coaching their teens about what to expect. Since most parents didn't get the talk themselves, they don't have a model for how to approach it. There's a lot of ground to cover, and teens these days face different challenges. Most parents just don't feel prepared to give the best advice. Dr. Coates wrote this book to give teens an even richer "heads-up" talk than his friend received. It helps parents cover the important bases with their teen boy. It's a series of upbeat, engaging stories about Chris and his uncle Ray, who mentors him during adolescence. It features not one, but several conversations. The book can be used as a guide for parents to prepare for discussions with their teenager, or they can give the book to their teen to supplement these discussions. All the topics are critical, and some of them are addressed nowhere else. Taken together, the insights can give a teenager a significant edge as they prepare for a happy, successful life as an adult.