by Dennis Coates | Adolescent Brain, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting
Most mornings it’s still dark when I leave my driveway to head to the gym. Often during the school year as I pass a certain intersection, I see a car with its headlights on parked by the side of the road. It’s a parent – a caring, protective parent...
by Dennis Coates | Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Personal Strength
Many parents think that when you forgive a young person, you’re doing something for the child. Yes, your child may regret doing something that hurt your feelings and may have asked for forgiveness. And indeed, telling the child that you forgive may give some...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Sex
The book Conversations with the Wise Aunt has a chapter entitled “A Nice Way to Say No,” in which Aunt Maria explains to her niece, Trisha, how boys are different from girls when it comes to attitudes about sex. This brief excerpt is about how a teenage...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication
I’m just guessing, but it may be true that no teenager in the long history of planet Earth has ever been given “the brain talk,” even though it’s probably some of the most important information a teen can have. Nevertheless, imagine a young...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Parent-child Communication, Parenting
Adolescence is a perilous time. This is the period from about age 10 until the early 20s when the prefrontal cortex is going through the critical “use it or lose it” blossoming and pruning process on the way to establishing an individual’s foundation...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication
The human brain has a unique way of developing itself. A child’s brain develops in phases. During each phase, the basic foundation for a particular brain function – such as visual perception, walking, or talking – is “wired.” The human...
