Sorting It Out

Written for parents, teachers, and others who live or work with teenagers, this science-based guide describes how you can become a confident 'decision mentor.' Learn to support young people in making good decisions for themselves. Treating decision making as an essential and learnable skill, the six-step 'Decision-Maker Moves' highlight the power and promise of young people as they shape their lives through the options they choose. Stories, examples, and practical tips show how decisions can transform problems into opportunities. Each chapter provides common-sense advice on when and how to talk with teenagers as they weigh up the often-conflicting values, emotions, and trade-offs affecting their choices. We cannot provide young minds with all the answers, but we can help them as they navigate both life-changing and everyday decisions.

Robin Gregory is a parent and grandparent, Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, and Senior Research Scientist at Decision Research, Oregon. He helps families, communities, and governments worldwide address difficult decisions involving diverse perspectives, uncertainty, and tough trade-offs in ways that reflect and help achieve their values.

Brooke Moore is a parent, Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, and a District Principal in the Delta School District, British Columbia. Throughout these roles, both professional and personal, she is motivated by a vision where all young people can move into adulthood with dignity, purpose, and options, a phrase she learned through her work with the Network of Inquiry and Indigenous Education.