The younger we are, the more impressionable we are. It is not easy growing up and facing the day to day life problems, and on top of it young people are rarely kind to each other.  Plus usually, the young want to fit and feel accepted, in addition, they want to be cool and popular.

It is the age from 12 - 20 that is a very critical age that can make or break a youngster.  It is true growing up is a difficult process, so growing up and knowing what we want in life may take us to extremes and bring us back.  I have been reading a book called “1/4 Gram” by Essam Youssef about the story of a friend of his who hit rock bottom abusing himself with alcohol and drugs.  It is such a moving book that one feels that he can relate to the characters and the people in it as if we know them or were a member of our families or friends..

It is a book, I advise every parent  and young person to read and try to understand where parents and young people go wrong with their lives. Why are friends so important to us when we are young, we try to please them to fit in and try to be different to attract attention even though they may hurt us.  Different people usually attract attention and others try to be part of their entourage to be seen as different too.  Why do young people take un-calculated risks with their lives and to prove what: drive fast, use illicit drugs, drink, dress differently etc…

Is it education, parents attitudes and problems or the society as a whole???  We need to have open and heart to heart discussions with our children and all the young people around us to try and understand without judging them or their acts in any sense: where can we help, how can we understand them better and what is the missing ingredient with the parents when available will help them overcome others impressions on them with ease.  What are the irresistable attractions that make their peers lead their lives, what sort of bond they create with their friends that can not be broken by their parents or their guardians.

I am sure there are hundreds of psychology books that have been written explaining these important relations from different perspectives, but each youngster is usually a special case with his surroundings, ups and downs that sometimes it is too difficult to generalize.

I am looking forward to the “1/4 Gram” book discussion that will take place next week in Cairo and looking forward to knowing and trying to understand more as a parent and as a human.

God protect us and our children.