Living with teenagers can be more demanding, stressful and emotional than anything parents have previously experienced. While there are dozens of books on development in young children, books on adolescents' development and how to cope are almost non-existent. Kate Figes redresses the balance. Understanding adolescence is the key to managing it. In The Terrible Teens, chapters on mood swings, how teenagers think, reducing conflict, family living, the importance of friendships, life at school, sex, drink and drugs provide parents with the answers to their problems and teenagers with the reassurance that they are not alone in feeling misunderstood. Based on the advice of experts and interviews with parents and their children, this informed and practical analysis of the difficulties young people face growing up today is essential reading for any parent.