by Dennis Coates | Jul 18, 2016 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Programs, Teen Success
I’ve written extensively about the development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during adolescence. At puberty, a child’s PFC undergoes a “second blooming,” which begins a roughly 12-year period of development. During this period (adolescence)...
by Dennis Coates | Apr 6, 2016 | Behavior Change, Parent-child Communication, Personal Strength, Programs, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
When you were in high school, did you take that Parent-Child Relationship Skills course? I’m sorry – trick question. No such course has ever been included in a high school curriculum. Well, how about college? No? Any other course in your church or...
by Dennis Coates | Mar 3, 2016 | Adolescence, Education, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Personal Strength, Programs, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success
In his classic parenting book, The Wonder of Boys, psychologist Michael Gurian claims that “three families – not one” are needed to raise a healthy child to be a happy, successful adult. The first family is the “nuclear family”—the parents and grandparents who raise...
by Dennis Coates | Jan 29, 2016 | Adolescence, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Personal Strength, Programs, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success
Adults care a great deal about the youth in their communities. They want fewer kids to be at risk. They want more kids growing up to be strong, happy, successful adults. They’re willing to be mentors to young people. And it’s important that they do because it...
by Dennis Coates | Jul 8, 2015 | Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Critical Thinking, Drugs, Parenting Videos, Programs
FASD stands for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a variety of permanent birth defects caused by the mother’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. The mother consumes alcohol, the substance travels to the womb, where it can disrupt normal development of the...
by Dennis Coates | May 12, 2015 | Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Programs, Teen Success
If you’ve followed my blog, you know I often write about a child’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) can be wired for basic critical thinking skills. The window of opportunity for advanced development of the PFC opens at puberty and closes sometime in the early...
