An invaluable guide for parents to learn how to effectively and empathically communicate with their children

Children who are hurt, angry, rejecting, and distant (HARD) can be challenging for parents. They can be rude, uncooperative, and disagreeable. They are often hard to relate to or connect with. Parents are left wondering how to handle such children before their relationship is irrevocably damaged. They need help!

Parenting Under Fire provides parents of hurt, angry, rejecting, distant children the guidance and support they need to connect with their children and repair relationships while opening the lines of communication. The book is divided into three sections, each focusing on a different form of communication: in-person, via text messages, and through letters--the latter especially beneficial for those wanting to bridge gaps and repair wounds with older children. It offers parents with the science-based hope and inspiration they need, as well as hundreds of practical suggestions about how to keep the communication loving, appropriate, and connected.

Losing or feeling like you are about to lose a relationship with a beloved child, regardless of the cause, is one of the most painful scenarios a parent will ever experience. Parenting Under Fire gives parents the tools and strategies to repair that relationship so their family can move forward with love, empathy, and understanding.

Amy Baker, PhD, is the author or co-author of 10 books and over 120 articles on topics related to children's well-being, psychological maltreatment, children of divorce, and parental alienation. She lives in Teaneck, NJ, and conducts research, training, and individual coaching for parents.

Paul R. Fine, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with over four decades providing individual, family and group therapy. He works in a community mental health center, providing an eclectic humanistic approach to problems faced by his clients.