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 | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Education, Guest Blog Posts, Parenting Videos, Podcasts, Teen Success
Even though I graduated from West Point, served 20 years in the U.S. Army, and retired as a lieutenant colonel, from age 16 I’ve always considered myself to be a writer. And since I co-founded what has become Grow Strong Leaders in 1987, I’ve published...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication
What is it like to be a child? Do you have any memory of this? A refresher: Compared to any adult, a child is lacking in almost every way. Physically smaller than an adult, without financial resources, and woefully lacking in understanding about how the world and...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Education, Inspiring Quotes, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Programs, Teen Culture, Teen Success
Recently, a bizarre death was reported in most news outlets. A 14-year old boy fell in love with an AI image. This computer-generated image became so real to him that he saw her as a real person. Ultimately, he killed himself with his father’s pistol in order to...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Strong for Parenting, Teen Culture, Teen Sex
Eventually, your teen may want to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Most parents become concerned at this point because these relationships are new, and their child may be feeling natural sexual urges and want to explore. Of course, the consequences of teen sex could...
