Beyond advice for crisis situations, this book offers practical guidance to parents of middle-years kids and pre-adolescents, in preparation for the teen experience ahead. Patience, caring, vigilance, "street smarts," knowledge of the teenage brain--these are among the many skills that parents today need. The book points the way to those skills, and encourages parents to resume their role as directors in the "movies" of their family life, without apology. Two dozen real-life examples, drawn from the authors' first-hand counseling experiences range from the mild (no date for the prom), to the near-tragic (assault and potential rape). The bottom line is positive: with encouragement, help and realistic boundries, individuals and families can re-establish sanity and sfety as the hallmarks of their lives. Includes: bull; new stresses kids today must cope with bull; ways to minimize pressures for adults and teens bull; new information on cyberspace, sexual predators, and teenage suicide.