by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Education, Encouragement, Parenting, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Success, Work, Youth Athletics
I’ve lived long enough to be aware of the sometimes remarkable paths that lives take. When I was a West Point cadet, my activities and achievements were quite a bit different from my high school experience. I know the same was true of my classmates. For example,...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescent Brain, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Teen Success, Work
“I was a terrible student,” he said, “always staring out windows or looking at the clock, waiting for class to be over.” From a very early age, the only thing that interested him was excitement, danger, and risk-taking. He considered schoolwork...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting, Personal Strength, Teen Success
I once had a conversation with an intelligent woman about the value of team sports. She said emphatically that the idea that team sports promoted teen development was utter nonsense (not her words) and that team sports promoted aggressiveness and generally callous...
by Dennis Coates | Critical Thinking, Education, Programs
When I was a little kid, my mother read child’s books to me. I loved the stories, and I begged her to read them to me over and over. But on my first day of school, I told my mother I wasn’t ready, because I didn’t know all my ABC’s. As she...
by Dennis Coates | Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting, Teen Success
My wife has an amazing mind. She’s always my first reader for feedback about my work. She catches nearly all mistakes, points out ways to improve my writing, and makes helpful recommendations. I know why she’s so smart. According to her, her mother read to...
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...
