by Dennis Coates | 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 | 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 | Adolescence, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Blogs, Personal Strength, Strong for Parenting
Someone said to me recently, “Nearly all the problems of the world would be solved if human beings were more empathetic.” It was such a bold, broad thing to say that I really had to reflect on it for a while. Ultimately, I found the statement hard to...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Education, Health & Nutrition, Mentoring, Parenting Blogs, Self-Esteem, Teen Success, Work
True story: A young couple got married, and after the honeymoon the guy discovered his new wife didn’t know how to boil an egg. Yes, he should have known this about her. But as a former Boy Scout, he got to work to help her learn to cook. Also, the young...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Alcohol, Drugs, Encouragement, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Blogs, Peer Pressure, Self-Esteem, Teen Culture, Teen Sex, Teen Success
Teens need to be liked and included by friends. And in all sorts of ways, friends can pressure your child to conform and get involved in what they’re doing. Not all peer pressure is bad. If your child’s friends have good values, they can influence your...
by Dennis Coates | Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Blogs, Strong for Parenting
Knowledge doesn’t appear out of thin air. Thanks to my experience as a dad, my 30-year passion for learning about the brain and interpersonal communication, and the work of many, many experts, I have learned a great deal about parenting; experience-based,...
