by Dennis Coates | Feb 19, 2024 | Adolescence, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Teen Success
At about the age of 12, plus or minus, a child’s body and brain are flooded with growth hormones to begin the physical development needed to become an adult. The growth period lasts about ten years. We call it adolescence. During this gradual transformation, the...
by Dennis Coates | Dec 12, 2023 | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Blogs, Strong for Parenting
I was in a hurry to get home, but so were many other people in rush hour traffic. I had to wait in line to turn right and then immediately I had to wait in a long line at a stoplight. When the light turned green, the car in front of me didn’t move. The driver...
by Dennis Coates | Sep 24, 2023 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books
Have you ever heard somebody use the term “lean in”? It quickly became common as a business motto in 2013, taken from the title of the book. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, and Nell...
by Dennis Coates | Jul 8, 2023 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Blogs, Teen Success
An obvious fact: very young children don’t understand about the future. If they’re 6 years old, they simply can’t conceive of the fact that in a few years they will be in high school. This inability to comprehend their own desired or possible future...
by Dennis Coates | Jun 23, 2023 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books
I recently talked with a mom who was discouraged because her attempts to try some new listening techniques hadn’t worked for her. She said they felt strange and she often forgot to use them. So she gave up trying. This is not an uncommon story. And there are...
by Dennis Coates | Jun 1, 2023 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Critical Thinking, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Teen Success
As i write this, swallows have built a nest above our front entrance way, and the momma and poppa swallows are busy catching bugs and feeding them to their three hatchlings. On occasion, we see three little heads peeking above the rim of the nest. Before long, the...