by Dennis Coates | Feb 14, 2022 | Adolescent Brain, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Parenting Books, Self-Esteem, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Work
The pandemic has been tough on kids. Online classes, more time at home…kids could be excused for spending more time in front of screens. While it’s true that technology has some amazing benefits, there’s this: It’s addictive. The rewards from...
by Dennis Coates | Jan 17, 2022 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success
I often reflect on what my life was like as a kid. My early childhood happened in the 50’s and my adolescence happened in the 60’s. It was, I think, a typical lower-middle class upbringing. I had five brothers and two sisters and a father and mother who...
by Dennis Coates | Jan 2, 2022 | Education, Encouragement, Parenting
Photo of Tywi Forest in Wales by Roger Kidd Fresh air! Today is a cool, sunny day and the air I breathe is delicious. Of course I’m not conscious of this all the time. But my diaphragm works to fill my lungs with air several times a minute, whether I think about...
by Dennis Coates | Nov 1, 2021 | 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 | Sep 27, 2021 | 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 | May 17, 2021 | 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...