When you’re pregnant you think: ‘I’m having a baby’, not a person who will eventually catch trains by themselves, share a fridge with ten strangers, go to a festival in Croatia without succumbing to a drug overdose, and one day, bring you a gin and tonic when your mother is dying. We imagine the teenage years as a sort of domestic meteor strike, when our dear, sweet child, hitherto so trusting and mild, is suddenly replaced by a sarcastic know-all who isn’t interested in the wisdom we have to pass on. But with great honesty and refreshingly bracing wit, Stephanie Calman shows that adolescence in fact begins much earlier, around the age of seven. And having nurtured them through every stage of development, from walking to school by themselves to their first all-night party, you find yourself alone – bereaved even – as they skip off to university without a second glance. Candid, touching and very, very funny, Confessions of a Bad Mother: The Teenage Years offers hope to despairing and exhausted parents everywhere. Read it and discover that your teenager is not the enemy after all.

Hilarious, poignant, and relatable on so many levels . . . a must-read for parents at every stage of their parenting journey . . . sure to be a huge hit and I highly recommend it, I recommend this book as a light-hearted read that cleverly has some important lessons to share with every parent or indeed anyone who is just doing their best, This was such a fun book, full of hilarious, sweet and poignant, anecdotes from when the author’s children began to turn into teenagers, right up until they left home to go off to uni. I laughed out loud on so many occasions when I was reading this, as well nodding vigorously agreeing with the author . . . I loved this book, and thoroughly recommend it one if you’re looking for a nonfiction book that will make you laugh and also help you through those awkward teenage years., I’m actually convinced that Stephanie has had a sneak peak into my life . . . As well as being slightly thought provoking, you will relate to this book on so many levels as a parent, I loved it and think it’s a must read . . . The book is bound to become a hit, [A] hilarious and poignant read that anyone who has children is sure to love . . . I loved this book. It’s brilliantly written, insightful and hilarious. A must read

Stephanie Calman is the founder of the ground breaking Bad Mothers Club website and the author of six previous books including the bestselling Confessions of a Bad Mother. She created the hit Channel 4 sitcom Dressing For Breakfast and has appeared on many TV shows including Have I Got News For You and The Wright Stuff. She has also written for most British newspapers and magazines including the Daily Telegraph, Observer, Guardian, Cosmopolitan, GQ and Harpers & Queen, and has contributed to a wide variety of radio programmes, including Woman's Hour and The Today Programme. She is married to the author Peter Grimsdale.