Preparing the Children

This guide offers practical strategies for helping young people navigate significant life transitions, from family changes to personal challenges. Kathy Nussbaum provides concrete tools for building resilience and emotional awareness during periods of uncertainty, addressing the real-world concerns that teens and their caregivers face daily. The approach balances psychological insight with actionable advice, creating a resource that feels both supportive and immediately useful. Readers will find clear frameworks for difficult conversations and emotional processing that respect their intelligence and autonomy.

What sets this work apart is its refusal to talk down to its audience while maintaining accessibility for both young readers and the adults supporting them. Nussbaum's guidance acknowledges the complexity of adolescent emotions without overwhelming the reader, making it particularly valuable for families experiencing divorce, relocation, or other disruptive life events. The book's strength lies in its ability to normalize emotional struggles while providing genuine coping mechanisms that build lasting emotional intelligence and adaptability.