SewinSue

I am looking for a Christian book to help a teen (17) who lost her Mother when she was 2 1/2. She is having lots of problems with feelings of abandonment, anger, loss etc. The books I have found deal with grieving the loss of a parent but not of loosing a parent that a teen does not remember. She is in a rebellous mode and isn't getting along with her Dad or her step-Mom. I am her birth Mom's Mom and hate to see her so unhappy.
Thanks for any help. Surely there is something out there that will help.

Country1

how about one of the "Chicken Soup For The Soul For Teens" ?

I used to buy them for my daughter when she was a teen and she loved them.

cherylynne

I don't know of a book but maybe other approaches would work. Help her to "know" her mother by showing her pictures and telling her stories about her mom. Take her to places her mom knew and liked. Let her talk about her feelings and just listen. Is there such a thing as a teen support group that she could be a part of?? She probably just wants to be like the other kids and have her mom as her friends do. Life isn't always fair, but she'll keep looking for something to make her feel better. Teen years are difficult times. Just my thoughts...

LovinMySoldier

I keep seeing advertisements for camp Erin? I think that is what it is. A camp for Kids and teens that have lost someone. Maybe there is some sort of camp or program like that locally in your area. Being with other teens that understand what she is going through will really help.
When I was a kid I was diagnosed with type I diabetes. I went to a week long summer camp for diabetes. It really helped me a ton. Just being with other teens that understood and "cool" adults. I know it isn't the same as losing a parent but it might help her with this hard time. Camp really helped me when I felt all alone

Ellen

Did these feelings of abandonment, anger and loss just start when she became a teen or has she been troubled since she was 2 1/2? It seems she's making choices based on her own inability to cope with life in general. I hope she finds help soon.
A good book I found in a Christian bookstore yrs ago is called "Life after Life" by Dr. Moody. It helped a young friend when her brother and 18 others died when a missle hit the USS Stark. It also helped her parents which was a plus. It's about people who died and were told it wasn't their time so they came back and told what it was like on the other side. I don't know if this angle would help her but it's a wonderful book.
I hope she doesn't get in the habit of blaming others for her behavior and takes responsibility for her choices.

quiltingcandy

Wow, you might want to talk with some professional help to help her get through this. It is normal for teens to become rebellious. It is a time where they want to spread their wings and get out on their own (which means they are normal) but afraid at the same time because it is a big scary world out there. And the confusion in their own mind is hard to deal with. They call it "tearing". Not knowing the relationship she had with her step-mom before this makes it hard to determine if this is something new or just on-going.

There is that time when most teens believe their parents have been struck stupid and have no idea what they are going through. Luckily my daughters got through it fairly quickly, but there were times wanted to just lock them in their rooms.

Sometimes it does take some time away from our parents to know what they truly do for us. We have taken in several teens over the years to help them see the light. It usually took about 3-6 months, but they ended up moving back home with a much better relationship.