by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Personal Strength, Strong for Parenting
The other day I was sitting in the waiting area of my dental clinic, along with seven other people. One of them was a woman in her mid-30s who was holding a small dog in her lap. I was amazed at how quiet and well-behaved the dog was. But a dog in a dental clinic? How...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Education, Guest Blog Posts, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Youth Athletics
When I’m with someone, a friend or family member, or even a stranger, I try to imagine what their experience of being alive in the world is like, based on their situation, experience, values, knowledge, skills, etc. I even do this with our cats. It’s my way of...
by Dennis Coates | Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Parenting, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem
My wife and I were going to visit a friend. Our route took us to a stop sign at a T-junction at an Interstate access road. We could turn left or right to get to our destination. My wife said, “Turn left.” I replied that the shorter and quicker route would...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Education, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Teen Success
As I was coaching a twelve-year-old girl, I concluded with this summary: “In the future, some of your friends will want you to conform, so you’ll need to stand up for yourself and be the kind of person you want to be.” Her reply: “What do you...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Teen Success
Getting a driver license is a rite of passage. Because of the way a vehicle empowers independence and how the license amounts to a badge of maturity, many teens look forward to this certification. And you want them – maybe you need them – to be able to...
