Surviving High School

Tips for Teens and Their Parents

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 1997 -- How is your family dealing with high school? Have you and your teen made the transition easily? Or have you found it challenging -- even overwhelming? Are you struggling with the new social scene? Are you concerned about alcohol and drugs, eating disorders, and sex?

School Psychologist Michael Riera not only managed to survive high school, but has come back daily ever since earning his Ph.D. to help students unravel those pivotal four years. His new book, "Surviving High School," helps teens grapple with issues of sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, race, and gender with the confidence of someone who's lived to tell.

Riera's students attest to the effectiveness of Riera's advice -- in fact, his book is largely a collection of their stories and the lessons they offer. Riera's goal in writing the book was to provide teens a compass of their own design -- "to have teens help other teens navigate their way through the often tumultuous high school years."

While written primarily for teens, his guidebook offers some advice for parents, much of it unorthodox. For example:

• Embrace estrangement. The development of personal identity during adolescence includes moving away from, but not becoming disconnected from family. Your teenager needs to show himself he doesn't need you. Expect to be criticized as part of this process, as your child learns that you are not perfect.
  
  
• Expect to be fired as parent/manager and be re-hired as consultant. Parents need to think in terms of influence rather than control.
  
  
• Forget heart-to-heart talks ... they almost never work. Communicate indirectly. Sometimes, to be heard, you need to write a letter so your kids can digest your thoughts on their own time when they are less defensive and more open to what you have to say.
  
  
• Don't give advice, even when your teenager asks for it. Teenagers seek your advice because they have momentarily lost belief in themselves. But they really need and want to solve issues on their own - so the best advice is to be the historian of your teen's problem solving history - instead of directly giving them a "solution" remind them of the successful ways in which they have solved problems in the past. This will help develop those decision making muscles they will need as adults.
  
  

Riera's advice may be difficult for many parents to swallow, but his expertise on teen problems is nationally recognized. Syndicated medical journalist Dr. Dean Edell praised Riera's first book, "Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers," for its "down-to-earth and practical advice." Dr. Riera, he concluded, "has lots of hands-on experience to pass on to frustrated parents and teen alike." Most recently, CBS asked Riera to join Dan Rather in examining teen experiences in its special "The Class of 2000."

Interviews and book review copy requests of "Surviving High School" and "Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers" should be directed to Khris Lundy Public Relations at (707) 963-0203.

CONTACT: Khris Lundy of Khris Lundy Public Relations, 707-963-0203