by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Personal Strength, Teen Success, Work
I’m recalling a moderately adverse experience that started with a phone call. My wife was about to return home from a shopping excursion at a mall about 30 miles away when her car wouldn’t start. She asked me to drive to the mall to give her a jump-start...
by Dennis Coates | Alcohol, Drugs, Personal Strength, Rebellion, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Whenever I think about positive self-esteem and its importance to the achievement, mental health, and happiness of young people, I think of how perilous a life journey can be. And I always think of Jason. Jason was the second child in a large Catholic family. His...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Critical Thinking, Drugs, Parenting, Parenting Videos, Personal Strength
Have you seen the movie, “Lonesome Jim” (2005)? Starring Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler, it’s the story of a man in his late twenties who, after failing to create a life for himself in New York City, returns home to live with his parents while he...
by Dennis Coates | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Inspiring Quotes, Personal Strength, Work
I once coached a 43-year-old man who lived at home and had never worked a day in his life. At the time, interest rates had fallen to all-time lows, so the annual interest on his trust fund principal had diminished considerably. To continue living in the style to which...
by Dennis Coates | Encouragement, Parenting, Personal Strength
My dad was a really nice guy. But I remember that when I was a teenager, he lost his temper with me three times. Yes, exactly three times. And the sad thing is that half a century later I still remember each incident in detail. In my mind, his reactions were overblown...
by Dennis Coates | Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Teen Success
It’s amazing what you see when you step outside the box. I’ve been focusing on the special challenge of raising teenagers for several years now, and I’ve been outside the box the whole time. Inside the box, you understand that you need to sacrifice...
