Adolescence creeps quietly into the life of a child bringing many changes and much inner conflict. The author sheds light on the familiar problems such as loneliness, meeting with others and relating to them, difficulties with parents, drink and drugs. Is adolescence just a burst of freedom lasting only a few tender years, or can this freedom be preserved and grow in spite of the narrowing-down of options as adulthood approaches? Writing directly for the parents involved, Julian Sleigh shows the young person awakening to make decisions out of his or her own sense of responsibility and feelings. If parents are sufficiently aware of this time of trial and error they will be able to show trust and confidence in the emerging personality.