testimonials "As parents of a troubled and difficult teenager, we understand how hard parenting can be. Struggling to maintain a positive relationship with our son, we felt isolated clueless and full of self-doubt. For the past few years we have been 'running on empty'. But, in all this we have been truly blessed with the support and guidance of Dr Jeff Kemp, the guidance counsellor at our son's school. The 'Asteros' program, founded by Dr Kemp, supports troubled teenagers who are underachieving, develop self–awareness and commit to bettering their lives. Our son has benefited greatly from this program. Dr Kemp's parenting program has helped us better understand how our son is 'wired' from a behavioural perspective. It has reaffirmed our faith in making reasonable parenting decisions without being worried about how they might affect our relationship with our son. Above all, Dr Kemp has helped us believe and actually feel that although our son was created by us, he was not us. We continue to negotiate our way through these troubling times, but it is with some degree of inner peace amidst the turmoil. It is impossible to convey, in words how grateful we are for Dr Kemp's support and compassion on our journey so far. He has been an absolute rock for our entire family." Sherrie and Peter Davis Worongary, Queensland - Australia "At last! A guide that treats parents with respect and offers real comfort and support in the often baffling world of child rearing. Dr Kemp has honed his skills by not only successfully raising his own children but also by working with challenging children and teens in school and community settings. He has brought his practical experience as a father and his professional perspectives together to create a unique collection of reading and reflections. A representative sample of case studies that will quickly lead parents to more informed and careful decision making about their children are also featured. I highly recommend this book to parents and other professionals whose daily lives will be shaped and strengthened by better understanding themselves as well as their children and teens. Have not enjoyed a parenting book as much since Coloroso's "Kids are worth it"!" Dr Loretta Giorcelli, OAM FACE Professor of Special Education and Child development Sydney, New South Wales - Australia

Parenting Today's Teenager

Parents of today's teenager need "all the wisdom of the village" to successfully guide their teenager to adulthood. Yesteryear parenting templates are not sufficient to effectively parent today's generation Y (born after 1988) and generation Z (born after 1994) teenagers.

Generation Y teenagers are characterised as being focused on pursuing personal satisfaction, being less influenced by authority and role models and being more influenced by peers. They are considered to be more visual, kinaesthetic learners having a mosaic of expectations with all parts of their lives interwoven.

Generation Z teenagers differ from generation Y teenagers in that they appear to have a different value system. Generation Z teenagers show more consistency about their likes and dislikes, are more altruistic showing concern for social justice issues and what their parents think. A sense of community is paramount to generation Z teenagers as is their desire to be entertained.

In sum generation Y and Z teenagers are growing up in a fast moving ever changing society that values speed over accuracy as information is quickly outdated. They are Tech-Savvy, plugged in and intolerant, demanding instant satiation, stimulation and entertainment.

Parents of today's teenager, especially parents of a troubled teenager face a formidable parenting challenge. Jeff's highly acclaimed book 'Be A Parent Not A Pal' provides parents with the skills and confidence to guide their teenager through the teenage years to achieve their full potential in life.

The 'Asteros' Program - Supporting Troubled teenagers on their journey through the teenage years to adulthood.

In 1996, concerned with the number of students who progressively disengage with and prematurely drop out of school, Jeff commenced the 'Asteros' program.

The 'Asteros' program (Asteros is an ancient Greek word meaning bright star) extends for 12 months and involves the establishment and maintenance of partnerships with organisations and groups in the community including the troubled teenager's school, outdoor educators and select interest groups in the community.

The 'Asteros' program includes a 2 part wilderness adventure/therapy experience, intensive in school support, a training program for parents in parenting a teenager, support from government youth services if required and on going support for the troubled teenager from a trained volunteer life coach/mentor.

The 'Asteros' program has achieved outstanding success with 80% of the first group of program participants successfully completing their schooling. This is a remarkable achievement especially as leading intervention programs in the USA regard a school retention rate of 33% for troubled teenagers as being a very satisfactory result. The 'Asteros' program was recognised by Griffith University through a special research bursary which enabled Jeff to travel to the USA to visit and study exemplary wilderness adventure/therapy based programs for troubled teenagers. The research findings have been incorporated into the current 'Asteros' program.

Jeff's 'Asteros' program for troubled teenagers provides a proven example of the benefit to all of providing a troubled teenager sustained support on their journey through the teenage years to adulthood.