“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” - Pro. 22:6

We received a unique book to review called Behind Closed Doors by Jessica L. Peck. It’s unique because it is geared towards mothers of teens. While I know many who read our articles have not yet reached the stage of raising teenagers, there are many who serve with teenagers in their church. This book is useful in both cases!

I personally found it as a great tool/resource for anyone wanting to lead teenagers in a new direction in their life. Jessica’s hope as a pediatric nurse practitioner and mother is to create open dialogue between teenagers and their parents on the hard topics. These topics include sexuality, suicide, pornography, social media, mental health, and more. From stories in her days at work to stories from the home, she covers topics on a wealth of knowledge. Many young women who grew up in the church can attest to closed doors on hard topics such as the aforementioned. Jessica is encouraging a new generation of open communication on ALL topics with parents.

For those who work with youth, this is also a great tool. Jessica breaks her chapters down by topics. You’ll read a chapter on “Social Media” and she ends it with categories that are great resources for you! There is a section for “devotional” on God’s thoughts on the topics. “Reflect” allows you to reflect on your own life. “Pray” helps guide you to praying over this topic. “Act” has practical ideas for how you can do something to cover the topic more with the teen. Jessica also includes movies, music, and more to check out that addresses things from a Biblical perspective!

I want to conclude by saying we are in a new generation. Tirzah is proof of this. There is access to unspeakable things here in the worldwide web. Tirzah is a beautiful use of the internet, but there is also a dark side. Do NOT pretend that you can fully understand what goes on in these teenagers lives through the internet. If you are a teenager, be wary. God is with all of us and guides/protects. However, you need to use wisdom with what you can be exposed to. Jessica’s book is a great tool and I encourage you as a parent or youth worker to add it to your shelf!