Customer Reviews
I agree...our teens are crazy...but it is explainable! 
2007-09-23
This is one of the best books I have found to help parents understand not only what their teens are going through, but tips on responding and hope that this is only a "stage" of development...this too shall pass! As a Marriage & Family therapist, I work with many teens and their parents...I all but insist that the parents buy this book! I tell them that it is the "handbook" for parenting a teen! So many have thanked me...it becomes their guidebook through adolescence! I should receive royalties...or at least some kind of commission, don't you think?
Thanks so much for writing this book and in such an easy to read format! My only wish is that it had been available when my son was a teen!
Must-Read for all parents of teens! 2007-08-30
I've read many parenting books, and most of them have offered excellent advice; but if you only read one parenting book in all your parenting years, this is the book to read. My husband is a youth pastor and I meet regularly with mothers of teens (we call ourselves MOTs). Together we've recommended this book more times than I can count and have purchased several copies to ensure that we always have one on hand to lend to a parents in need.
Just plain useful 2007-06-09
I don't know if the last reviewer actually read this book. I didn't see a place in the book where parents were not held accountable for their own behavior or teens were "blamed" for much of anything. It is not a textbook on how families can function when any member is psychotic, or criminally insane, or violent, or sexually abusive. But for the vast majority of us imperfect parents who have good but imperfect kids in transition from childhood to adulthood, this book offers quite a bit of advice, that I for one, have found very helpful. I've given it to quite a few friends too, all of whom have enjoyed it.
The author calls teens "crazy" because that has been the hue and cry of many a parent. What he is saying is hyperbole, a tongue-in-cheek overstatement regarding what is known about adolescent brain development: only that it is incomplete in the teen-age years.
Pabulum for Grownups 
2007-04-11
If you're an insecure enough parent that you need Michael Bradley to tell you the whole
family problem is that just that "your teen is crazy" so that you can evade facing your own
issues, this book is for you. I worked with children, teens, and parents for 10 years
(directly in their homes on a daily basis; not, like Bradley, by seeing them in my office
once in a while), and I can tell you there are a lot more crazy grownups out there than
crazy teens. In fact, teenagers get along with their parents a lot better than parents get
along with EACH OTHER (proof: our 60% divorce rate). Last year, California law
enforcement offices responded to nearly 200,000 domestic violence cases, the vast
majority involving adults over age 30.
If Bradley can't summon empathy for the several hundred thousand children and youths
who are confirmed as violently or sexually abused by the parents every year, the several
million who live with alcoholic or addicted parents, and the tens of millions who suffer
severe family conflicts before and after their parents' separation and divorce, he needs to
get out of his comfortable office, toss his arrogant theories in the trash, and take a hard
look at the real world.
I looked up the terrifying teen statistics Bradley presents, and EVERY ONE OF THEM
IS OUTRAGEOUSLY WRONG. He (or whoever he copied) just multiplied numbers of
gun deaths, drunken driving wrecks, suicides, etc. shown by the National Center for
Health Statistics by 400% or 500% and stuck them in his book. The rest is no more
accurate. In particular, Bradley fails to mention the real statistics: ages 35-54 (the parents)
now have soaring violent death rates far above those of high schoolers. A teenager is
twice as likely to have a parent get into a drunken accident, three times more likely to
suffer a parent who commits suicide, 10 times more likely to have a parent die from an
illicit-drug overdose than the other way around. Bradley can't seem to see this--and he
incessantly trashes teens as "crazy"?
Reading this book was like listening to stereotypical seventh-grade alphas ridiculing the
"retards." Bradley's name-calling is so obsessive--he berates teenagers as "crazy,"
"stupid," "nuts," and brain-damaged in frenzied repetition on nearly every page--that it's
pathological. He sounds confident and tough, but this book is ultra-permissive when it
comes to ignoring the rotten adult behaviors that underlie rotten teenage behaviors.
Having said this, I respect and admire good parents. Good parents know they're not the
blameless victims Bradley excuses and that conflicts with teens are nearly always a
two-way street. Parents who need help maturely seek it from therapists who will hold all
parties accountable, not just encourage them to dismiss every problem with their
teenagers as caused by their "large, brain-dysfunctioned children." It's no accident that
arrogant, tough-sounding books like this are popular in a time when grownup
misbehaviors and disarray are skyrocketing and kids are dealing with more troubled
families than ever. After reading authors like this, I wonder if the never-mentioned side of
"brain science"--the deterioration in key memory and learning genes and loss of cells that
accelerates after age 40--is causing the real craziness we should be worried about.
Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind 2007-03-10
I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is. It has helped both me and my husband get a perspective on how teens think. We've used some of the principles already and have seen results. I would recommend it to all parents.
yes, your teen is crazy! 2008-06-24
Amazing book! It has not only helped me with my 16 year old - but is helping me change my relationship with my 14,10 and 8 year old boys for the better. I've already sent copies to friends with younger children - to give them a head start.
Very useful information 2008-05-06
I have read this book cover to cover and I think the book covers pretty much every aspect of parenting teenagers - I've got two in my home. I bought the "Yes, Your Parents are Crazy" for my teens, as well. I wish Dr. would have mentioned something about cell phones, but I think I can figure them out, too with the help of other info. in this book. I have found some excellent ideas in this book and it has definately helped me maintain my inner "dispassionate cop" when dealing with those inevitable teen moments as well as help my sense of humor resurface. I have often been heard saying that there are lots of similarities in raising infants to teenagers including the number of people giving you unsolicitated advice. I think this book provides more then just more advice; it provides prospective.
A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY PARENT! 2008-04-21
This book is a Godsend! EVERY parent should read it...if possible, even BEFORE their child enters adolescence! You will gain the key to reaching your child! You will learn what TO DO and sometimes more importantly, what NOT to do regarding your parenting of your adolescent. His insight is REAL and APPLICABLE! You will be rewarded with a rich and mutually beneficial relationship with your child where you both feel respected and valued. This book was remarkable! I couldn't put it down. I am sure I will read it and reread it a few times. It's the closest thing to a how to book I've seen. He is brilliant!
A Must Read 2008-02-23
Too many moments where your teen will just blow you away with something you never saw coming! The craziest things they do...you might understand after you read this book. I definetely recommend it.
What a great book!! 2007-10-01
I was at my wits end with my 17 year-old daughter. She was acting up quite a bit and my normal reaction was anger which resulted in nothing but a lot of yelling,hurt feelings, and sleepless nights. Out of desperation, I searched for something, ANYTHING, that would help me get back on track with my daughter. This book was a God-send! I couldn't put it down. Dr. Bradley's philosophies and advice were right on target. I felt that he wrote it just for me. I applied his suggestions and what a difference it has made in my relationship with my daughter. Instead of yelling, we talk calmly. I listen, she listens. She still acts up once in awhile (after all, she's still a teenager) but I handle my reactions differently which makes her more comfortable coming to me with her problems. I sleep much better at night now. Dr. Bradley has given me so much hope that my sweet little girl is still there and we will get through these very trying times. I wish that all parents of teenagers could read this book. It is THE best.
