I Need To Tell You Something: Life Lessons From A Father For His Teenage Children

It started as a request from Bill Franks' financial advisor to create a "Statement of Values" letter that he could share with his then-young children. If something happened and he wasn't around to raise them, what were some of the core values he would like to impart on them once they were old enough to understand?

As Bill began laying out his thoughts, he realized that he had a lot more to say than would fit in a letter. He also realized that many other families might benefit from the same advice he was providing. What started as life lessons he wanted to share just with his children, quickly became an opportunity for other families to discuss and learn together. Written not from the perspective of an expert, but from that of a father giving guidance to his own teens, the book comes at the issues from a different perspective than many others.

This guidebook, written with teens as the intended audience, presents a great foundation for adults to think about and be intentional about sharing their own ethics and principles. With clear examples, timely teen issues, and 'taking action' elements with each chapter, it provides many opportunities for parents to begin or continue important conversations with their children. In chapters where parents disagree with Bill’s view, the book still provides a starting point to explain to their children how their views differ.