Although the title of this book indicates one parent's story or struggle, it's actually about the battle between all parents and teens, or simply, adults and teens, in general. I say battle, but it has actually risen to the potential for what I call generational warfare. Basically, teenagers have little respect for adults, especially parents. The protocol is simple, and yes, most adults do recall progressing strategically in the same way during their own youth.

Even before we're born, we make demands. Then after we've grown a few years, we make many more demands. By the age of 10 to 13, we more than expect those demands to unquestionably be met. Finally by the last three to five years of youth while living at home with our parents, we've assessed who our biggest enemy is and how we would like to take down who we now see as both an enemy and a dictator. Simply put: After you've bitten the hand that feeds you for so long, that hand begins to appear useless. And once that represents uselessness, the person behind that outreaching hand also serves no purpose to you. So the stage is set. Teenagers won't look back with any sense of appreciation, and parents, who also continued to grow, will look back and wonder if it was all worth it. Many are optimistic, while others are in denial. But most can only feel one thing...What was I thinking.