Surviving adolescence, it can be, and here’s how

Forgive the misleading title. This is not a recipe text. Even less tips and tricks. But rather thoughts. Shades. Ah yes: and benevolence, above all.

Silvia Galipeau
The Press

In short, a survival manual, yes, but different.

This is the conclusion that comes to mind spontaneously when reading the very funny, enlightening and guilt-free Surviving adolescence and more…, published these days by Parfum d’encre. Yet another title on the subject, certainly, but far from the usual expert works. In particular because of the complicit tone, established from the outset by the author, Julie Champagne, journalist and editor-in-chief of the magazine Curiumalso mother of two children (a teenager and another “in training”), without forgetting the touch of humor brought by the felt drawings of Sylvain Cabot, skilful illustrator who will get you several giggles, guaranteed.

“I love them, the teenagers”, launches from the outset the author, met in a skate park of his neighborhood. “I like their energy […], their heightened emotions, they are not cynical, not jaded, they want to change the world! And then I also find myself in their clumsiness…”, says smiling the one to whom we already owe surviving pregnancy and surviving parenthood.

If she wanted to write this new guide, it’s because she “likes the public”, she knows him (and talks to him monthly through his magazine), but also because she wanted to offer something else.

And contrary to the panoply of works already published on the subject, Julie Champagne wanted here to be connected to reality. Its reality. And ours by the way.

Thoughts, questions

An example ? Probably the most telling: the chapter on the digital generation. We all know, in fact, the recommendations for the famous and sacrosanct “screen time”. Moreover, we all know that they are as unrealistic as they are impracticable. Daily and shamefully transgressed. For good reason: “it’s the first generation who grew up with a screen in their hands, explains Julie Champagne. But there are questions beyond us. Yes, we have to set limits, set a framework, but that doesn’t just rest on our shoulders. There’s something bigger going on.” In short, limiting “screen time” doesn’t mean much when you know that this time actually involves a lot of different things: from homework and games to research and communication with friends. And information, too!

Having said that, what do we do? Julie Champagne takes a break here: “These are reflections, above all, questions. It’s hard ! “When we were talking about your accomplice tone, it wasn’t just in writing…

Among other “solutions”, or avenues to explore (and these are the avenues that come up throughout the book, from the first signs of puberty to leaving the family nest through sexuality), she suggests the following: exchange, discuss, find a compromise.

The obvious? No doubt, but we tend to forget.

“If every time he comes to talk to me about the latest video on TikTok, I roll my eyes, illustrates the author, it may be that when he experiences real challenges, he does not turn to me…” Touché .

Among other “connected” subjects, we find in particular a top 10 sentences that put off a teenager, a guide to good drinking, but also a whole chapter of “parental coaching”, to help parents guide their teenagers towards autonomy, conflict management and, of course, the management of emotions (!).

Speaking of emotions, Julie Champagne can no longer bear the prevailing discourse, “demonizing” adolescents. They are said to be reckless, insolent, lazy, “but we forget that they are going through the biggest upheavals of their lives! “, she recalls. It should be noted that this scientific lighting of the “behind the scenes” of the brain of teenagers is not innocent. It makes it possible to de-dramatize many situations. Hold: “These mood swings, these rash decisions, it’s not against us! Their brain is formatted like that! ” Note ?

Surviving adolescence and more…

Text by Julie Champagne. Illustrated by Sylvain Cabot.

Ink Scent

184 pages