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It's not too long since I read [[Passing the 11+ with NLP: NLP Strategies for Supporting Your 11 Plus Student by Judy Bartkowiak and Carolyn Fitzpatrick]] and what impressed me most was that it was a great deal simpler and more user friendly than the phrase ''neuro-linguistic programming'' suggested, with its emphasis on building a child's self-esteem and easing the pressure all round, so I was delighted when Judy asked me if I would look at ''NLP For Teens''. Many a parent has been tempted to leave home when their children were teenagers; difficult as it is for the parents it's a traumatic time for the teens and anything which makes it a little easier is to be applaudedparticularly when the changes will come from them rather than the parent.
''Passing the 11+…'' is directed at parents with children coming up to the dreaded exam. ''NLP for Teens'' is directed at teenagers. At only just over ninety pages it's a fairly quick initial read and not too burdensome when it comes to working at it afterwards. And that is a large part of the secret. It's not a book to read and obtain a magical benefit. It's a book to read and then go back and work at. As a builder friend of mine always says - 'it needs a good coat of thinking about'. If a parent or mentor has read the book first they will be in a position to offer supportive discussion – but this is a book for the teens.
About a third of the book is about the basics of NLP. Think of this as an encouragement to the teenager to think through attitudes and goals and to examine where they come from. Think of the book as a workbook for them to write in, refer to, and use. It tackles the issues which teens are likely to face and they're not just about whether or not they'll get a good enough grade in a exam. Teenagers today face more pressures about sex, relationships, alcohol and drugs than any previous generationand in this book they'll find an acknowledgement of those pressures. The balance of the book looks in detail at their stress, confidence, communication, employment and relationships.
It's in the teenage years when a lot of attitudes become ingrained, often because they've been received in childhood and never really thought about. The teens are an ideal time to develop a questioning attitude which will carry them through life.