by Dennis Coates | Adolescent Brain, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Parenting Books, Self-Esteem, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Work
The pandemic has been tough on kids. Online classes, more time at home…kids could be excused for spending more time in front of screens. While it’s true that technology has some amazing benefits, there’s this: It’s addictive. The rewards from...
by Dennis Coates | Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Rebellion, Uncategorized
So many of the emotional flare-ups and conflicts that arise between parent and child are triggered by the failure to communicate effectively. Instead, we react emotionally, with frustration or anger. It’s only natural, but it alienates your child. It’s an...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success
I often reflect on what my life was like as a kid. My early childhood happened in the 50’s and my adolescence happened in the 60’s. It was, I think, a typical lower-middle class upbringing. I had five brothers and two sisters and a father and mother who...
by Dennis Coates | Education, Encouragement, Parenting
Photo of Tywi Forest in Wales by Roger Kidd Fresh air! Today is a cool, sunny day and the air I breathe is delicious. Of course I’m not conscious of this all the time. But my diaphragm works to fill my lungs with air several times a minute, whether I think about...
by Dennis Coates | Behavior Change, Encouragement, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success
While each of the ten high-impact parent-child communication skills described in Connect with Your Kid are amazingly effective, their power magnifies greatly when used in combination. Without question, my favorite one-two combo is open-ended questions to encourage...
