by Dennis Coates | Adolescent Brain, Education, Fitness, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success
A few years ago I wrote a book for middle school boys, called Conversations with the Wise Uncle. I then wrote a similar book for young girls. My purpose was to model some of the key conversations young people need to guide them along their journey to being adults....
by Dennis Coates | Critical Thinking, Education, Encouragement, Fitness, Health & Nutrition, Programs, Teen Success
I know that not everyone wants to “be all you can be.” Not everyone is serious enough about personal growth to do something about it. A whole lot of people are happy with who they are, thank you very much, and wake up to each new day content to consume...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Alcohol, Drugs, Education, Encouragement, Parenting, Self-Esteem, Teen Culture, Teen Sex, Teen Suicide, Work
Why would a teenager do something as stupid as engaging in one of the teen challenges, such as binge-drinking, or swallowing a spoonful of cinnamon, or snorting a condom. Quite a few kids have ended up in the hospital and a few have died. Part of the answer is they...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Sex
One evening when I was 14, I was sitting on my bed reading a novel when my mom walked past my door. Then she came back, stood in the door, and asked me, “You know about sex, don’t you?” Her question took me by surprise. I answered, “Uh,...
by Dennis Coates | Drugs, Education, Fitness, Health & Nutrition, Teen Success
How could viewing over 25 paintings by early San Antonio artist Julian Onderdonk make me think of video game addiction? It happened. The San Antonio Museum of Art recently featured the collection of Onderdonk, an American impressionist painter who died in 1922 at the...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Guest Blog Posts, Parenting Books, Teen Culture, Teen Suicide
Disconnected, a new book by Thomas Kersting, documents the horrible effects of excessive screen time on children. One of the most insidious technologies is video games, because of its ability to quickly addict the gamer. Here are a few shocking stories excerpted from...
