As someone who very much appreciates Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages tool, I was looking forward to seeing how he applies it to parenting teenagers. This book is full of some really good advice, and I would certainly recommend it. There are a couple of things that weaken the overall impact of the book, however. First of all, though Chapman is a Christian (an associate pastor), this book is not explicitly Christian. He talks about religious traditions and faith traditions, but the author doesn't ground his ideas and principles firmly in the Triune God of Scripture. Thus his approach is incomplete. Second, he assumes a situation in which kids are in public schools and a culture in which dating, rather than courtship, is the norm. While this is, indeed, the situation for most people who will read this book, the application is limited for homeschoolers. As I said though, overall the book is good, and there's a great deal of material packed in here on which to ruminate.

My purpose for reading this book was related to my work. As a teacher, it is so important to connect with my students. I hoped that this book would help me understand my students more. Understanding my students would allow me to determine what their love languages were. I would then be able to apply what I have learned to my students while communicating with them. The 5 Love Languages is really written for parents or immediate family members. The examples in the book are all of the parents and their teenagers. However, I was still able to learn from the material. For example, I learned about shifts in mindset during the transition from child to teenager. I am taking advice from the book in a few ways. Foremost, I will involve my students in establishing rules next year. We will also determine consequences along with the rules. Chapman claims that by involving teenagers, they feel that their input matters. They can also be reminded that they agreed to the rules. I expected more from this book, but I think it was still a good read for a teacher. This book was much less egotistical than the original Love Languages and also denser.

Because I want there to be no doubt!

Turns out that if you've read the original book, you've got the point. While there are good ideas about how to show love to teenagers, I'm not sure it's necessary to read the whole thing through. Mostly useful, though.

Unconditional Love. The greatest parenting advice of all.

This book was just what I needed to get my mind and heart around communicating to and expressing love to the teens in my life.

Each love language has several clear examples and true life testimonies of how to express love in a teen's life.

I would like to suggest if you have teens, start with the chapters on anger to get much needed skills in that area first, then go to chapter 1. You will find tips to implement immediately.

Small plug for Dr. Chapman's book "Anger." It's teeming with practical, actionable advice. It's a must read for anyone recovering from co-dependency like me, and all pastoral staff. "Anger" and "Boundaries" (Cloud-Townsend) changed my life.

I'd also like to plug the chapter (in this book) on blended families. There was outstanding info that anyone can glean applicable pearls of wisdom from. I married into a blended family and attest the scenarios presented are quite authentic.

Very good book for every parent of a teenager to help you understand how to make your child feel loved. These concepts are helpful in every relationship. It also helped me better understand some of the changes going on inside my sons as they grow up.

I liked it. I think it’ll help me with the two teenagers I currently have and the two more I will have in a few years. Teens are changing in mind and body and the way you loved them as children doesn’t always translate to their teen years. Some of the book was common sense and just a good reminder but there were parts that were very helpful to read and I will refer to this book in the future.

I just finished this book, though it took me a while because I found it was rich with insights that I needed to read, process, and reflect on before moving on to the next chapter. I found this to be a truly thoughtful and practical book for helping me navigate teenagerdom as a parent of two daughters. Highly, highly recommend this book for anyone with preteens and teens in their family...

I think I finished it. You know what? I KNOW I finished it. It doesn't matter if the statement is true because I refuse to pick it up again.

I can't understand why Gary Chapman would want to write another book about Love Languages (For teens this time) when the people who understood his first one (for spouses) would very likely be able to translate it into love for teens. The only logical explanation appears to be:for the money.

In any case, I don't care for this book. I think the paper it was written on could've been put to better use. I was utterly bored by it, and just to "finish" it was a struggle, because frankly, his style of writing needs editing, and I simply felt like I was being lectured throughout the entire book.

Basically, it's the same thing all over again, but he adds in little things he thinks of just before he decides to begin the next chapter like, "Set rules, but not too many." "Don't treat them like children." "Make the rules specific." "Make the consequences clear BEFORE the act is committed".

Those are about the most memorable three lines in the entire book. And I think it would've fared better if he'd written it like it was an instruction manual, as follows:

1) Determine the primary love language of teenager
2) Love teenager in all the languages
3) Set rule book
4) Treat them like adults
5) Give em sufficient space
6) Continue to love them when they make mistakes
7) Do not assault them
8) Do not spoil them
9) Train them well
10) Teach responsibility
11) Do not attempt behavior modification. May result in robot-like drones that may or may not bear resentment towards you.

Voila! The entire essence of the book could've fit onto 1 page and a lot less trees would've died.

Maybe he caught me on an off mood, but this is just not a book I'd recommend to anyone. Pick up the one for spouses and once one get's it all down pat, it will work for teens too. I'm most definitely not going to be reading the Five Love Languages of Children.

A must-read for parents of teenagers... gotta do things different to reach, build, and be happier...

I wish I had started reading this book with my first teenager. It is amazing and just talking to my child about what makes her feel loved based on this book was a great help in our relationship even though this was my easy child. It is good to go back to read it again because it is easy to return to old habits when I am tired or stressed.

https://ayearofbooksblog.com/2017/10/...

After finishing the audiobook above, I moved on the the version of love languages specific to teens. At times, it was insightful and made me think of what love language was important to each of my children.

This book may have had some great messages but I did not relate to the religious messaging and did not think the examples were representative of the issues that today’s teens experience. The tone seemed to express homophobic views as he talked about “immorality” and because of this, it will be the last time I read or listen to a book by this author.