by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Encouragement, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success
What if you had great communication skills? Some parents do! But most don’t. When parents connect in ways that strengthen the bond with their child, kids are more open to parental guidance and wisdom. Most parents struggle with this. Learning powerful communication...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Fifty years ago, I began my graduate work at Duke University. Although I was an Army captain, a graduate of West Point and the Army Ranger School, and a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War, my main interest was literature. I was a published poet, I won First...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Sex, Teen Suicide
As I write this, the Covid-19 coronavirus in the U.S. has been killing about 3,000 people every day. I know several people who have become infected. A member of my extended family died from the infection. This pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in our...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Books, Programs, Teen Culture, Teen Sex, Teen Success
The human species, like all other species, exists because of its ability to reproduce. During the fertile years, men and women feel the urge to engage in sexual union, which is necessary to produce offspring. When I was much younger, my friends and I would joke about...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Even though kids are a work-in-progress, their current knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and motivation can lead to more learning and achievement. They may also bring a unique set of core personal strengths, such as patience, self-confidence, persistence, and many...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Teen Culture, Teen Success
Smartphones are flat-out amazing. No, miraculous. A voice gives me turn-by-turn driving instructions to get to a ranch outside a small town 750 miles away. That’s incredible. Also, the ability to shoot a video clip and send it to someone in Nepal...
