by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Rebellion
Both my sons are in their 50s, still pursuing highly successful careers in IT. But I’m still trying to communicate with them effectively, being aware of moments when a particular skill will work best for me — with my sons, and also with my wife, my...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Critical Thinking, Drugs, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Driving, Teen Success
60 years ago, I drove the family car through the heart of Stuttgart, Germany. No one else was in the car. I was a responsible kid, and I was doing my best to stay safe and arrive home without a mishap. But like every young driver, I had a lot to learn. I was ignorant...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Teen Suicide
Today I read a disturbing article. The truth: the executives of tech companies that create social media don’t care. They not only don’t care if their technologies are addictive, they’re counting on it. They don’t care that vulnerable children...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success, Work, Youth Athletics
I had the chance to interact with a niece recently, a high school freshman I hadn’t seen in a while. These encounters are rare, since both of us have busy lives and she lives 50 miles away. So I couldn’t help myself. I had to take the opportunity to gift...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Blogs, Personal Strength, Strong for Parenting
Someone said to me recently, “Nearly all the problems of the world would be solved if human beings were more empathetic.” It was such a bold, broad thing to say that I really had to reflect on it for a while. Ultimately, I found the statement hard to...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Parenting Videos, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Sex
Some pretty awful things can happen during adolescence. One of these tragedies is an unwanted pregnancy. I believe that parents need to “get real” about the risk that their child could get involved in an unwanted pregnancy. Think about it: At puberty, kids...
