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 | Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Discouragement is when someone experiences loss, adversity, or failure and as a result they lose confidence in their own strengths and abilities to cope. They lose heart. This happens to kids a lot. Every day, a child struggles with the painful struggles of growing...
by Dennis Coates | Critical Thinking, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books
Have you ever looked up at the night sky on a clear night to see the North Star? If you can spot the Big Dipper, follow the line from the dipper to a very bright star named Polaris. This star helped seafarers navigate for centuries. It’s very, very far away...
by Dennis Coates | Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Teen Success
In many ways, I’m thrilled to put 2020 in my rear-view mirror. The awful Covid-19 pandemic. Also, this was the year my family moved to a new home. It’s a nice home, and that’s the good news. The bad news is that moving was a mentally and physically...
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 | Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Programs, Teen Success
Communicating well is a foundation element of effective parenting. How can you be a parent to your child without communicating? Whenever there are problems between parent and child, ineffective communication is almost always a contributing factor. And yet, when you...
