by Dennis Coates | Alcohol, Behavior Change, Drugs, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Teen Driving, Teen Success, Uncategorized
All my writing these days is about how you talk to your child. But parents communicate in other, very powerful ways. When my two sons were small boys, I had never heard the term “parenting.” I knew nothing about techniques or skills that would make me a...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Programs, Teen Success
A common consequence of parenting an adolescent child: the alienated teen. It’s natural for a growing child to seek more independence. After all, becoming an adult and creating a happy, successful life of their own is the goal. But you want your child to remain...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Teen Success
The book, Connect with Your Kid, is a how-to manual for improving the 10 most important parent-child communication skills. And listening to understand is at the top of the list, for several reasons: When your child is trying to express something, you need to hear it....
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Rebellion, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success
Trying to conserve on electricity, you ask the family to turn off lights when leaving a room that they don’t plan to return to soon. But most of the time your son/daughter forgets to do this simple thing. You remind them and they agree to try harder. But when...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Parent-child Communication, Teen Success
Driving home, I saw a young man walking on the sidewalk. Shirtless in the midday sun, he sported a tanned, muscular body. He seemed oblivious to a future consequence: excessive exposure to solar radiation (sunlight) can cause skin cancer. The sight reminded me of a...
by Dennis Coates | Behavior Change, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Teen Success
Have you ever been exhausted, under pressure, and upset – all at the same time? If you have, then you know how easy it is to lash out, yell, or say something you later regret. This is a perfectly natural reaction. But consider what your child would feel on the...
