No Child Comes With a Manual, So Dr. Derek J. Lee Wrote One for the Parents Who Need It Most
Pentwater, Michigan – Oct 16, 2026 - Every parent knows the moment. The toddler melts down in aisle seven. The teenager slams a bedroom door hard enough to rattle the pictures. The homework sits untouched while the clock marches past nine. A parent stands there, exhausted and unsure, wondering why love alone does not come with instructions.
Dr. Derek J. Lee has spent more than two decades sitting across from those parents. He has heard the same half-joking wish again and again. "I just wish they came with a manual." Now he has written one. The Parenting Manual: A Practical Guide to Raising Children arrives as a grounded, compassionate, and deeply useful resource for anyone raising a child from infancy through adolescence.
The book does not promise perfect children or perfect parents. It promises something better. It offers a way to understand behavior, build connection, set boundaries, and repair relationships after mistakes. Dr. Lee writes with Nicole Rybarczyk and Christin Lee, and together they translate research, clinical experience, and real family life into chapters that parents can actually use.
The core message of The Parenting Manual is simple and freeing. Parenting never needed to be perfect. It works best as a relationship. That relationship grows through connection, boundaries, mistakes, repair, laughter, growth, and an extraordinary number of ordinary moments. Children do not need flawless parents. They need adults who learn, adapt, apologize, set limits with love, and keep showing up.
The book speaks to a wide audience. First-time parents will find a steady guide. Seasoned parents will find fresh language for old struggles. Foster parents, grandparents, stepparents, and caregivers will find practical tools. Therapists, counselors, teachers, and school staff will find a readable resource for families. Anyone who loves a child and wants to parent with more intention, confidence, and calm belongs in these pages.
Dr. Lee writes in an engaging, conversational style. He avoids jargon and lecture-heavy prose. He uses humor, real-life examples, and plain language. He explains the "why" behind behavior without excusing it. He embraces dialectics, the idea that two truths can exist at once. A child can be angry and still follow a rule. A parent can understand a feeling and still hold a boundary. Each chapter is short enough to read during a dental appointment, a soccer practice, or those precious twelve minutes after bedtime. The book also includes reflection pages at the end of chapters, so readers can build their own manual as they go.
The Parenting Manual covers emotional intelligence, communication, discipline, independence, resilience, friendships, technology, education, bullying, peer pressure, physical health, cultural awareness, transitions, grief, special needs, and self-care for parents. It does not shy away from hard topics. It discusses divorce, blended families, loss, suicide, and the moments when professional help matters. Yet it never loses its warmth. Dr. Lee reminds readers that most children move through typical struggles, and most parents can navigate those struggles with support, patience, and practice.
The book also challenges a common modern pressure. Many parents believe every interaction determines who their child will become. Dr. Lee disagrees. Parenting is not one conversation or one consequence. It is thousands upon thousands of interactions across childhood. That reality offers room for error. It also offers countless chances to get things right. A parent who loses patience can repair. A parent who says yes too quickly can reconsider. A parent who feels lost can learn.
The Parenting Manual: A Practical Guide to Raising Children is available now at Amazon, at all online stores, and at major retailers. Parents, caregivers, and professionals can order the book in print and digital formats. It also makes a thoughtful gift for baby showers, adoptive families, new grandparents, and anyone who wants a steadier hand on the parenting journey.
For more information, review copies, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Derek J. Lee, please contact:
Dr. Derek J. Lee
About Dr. Derek J. Lee
Dr. Derek J. Lee is a child and adolescent therapist, researcher, and educator who has spent more than two decades helping families through their hardest moments. He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and serves at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He founded PCS and The Hope Institute to expand mental health care for children, teens, and families. A parent himself, Dr. Lee writes with warmth, humor, and honesty. He teams with Nicole Rybarczyk and Christin Lee to turn clinical insight into practical help. He believes parents do not need perfection. They need presence, patience, and grace.