by Dennis Coates | Apr 19, 2021 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Fifty years ago, I began my graduate work at Duke University. Although I was an Army captain, a graduate of West Point and the Army Ranger School, and a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War, my main interest was literature. I was a published poet, I won First...
by Dennis Coates | Apr 3, 2021 | Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Discouragement is when someone experiences loss, adversity, or failure and as a result they lose confidence in their own strengths and abilities to cope. They lose heart. This happens to kids a lot. Every day, a child struggles with the painful struggles of growing...
by Dennis Coates | Oct 23, 2020 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Success
Even though kids are a work-in-progress, their current knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and motivation can lead to more learning and achievement. They may also bring a unique set of core personal strengths, such as patience, self-confidence, persistence, and many...
by Dennis Coates | May 26, 2020 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Peer Pressure, Self-Esteem, Teen Driving, Teen Sex, Teen Suicide
If your child should receive a request for a nude pic, how do you think they would react? You’d be surprised how many young people would laugh and consider it a harmless, fun thing to do, perhaps a way to be included with the cool crowd, never thinking about the...
by Dennis Coates | May 10, 2020 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Parenting Books, Self-Esteem, Teen Culture, Teen Sex
During the COVID-19 shut-down I heard reports that many LGBTQ college students who have been forced to study at home are experiencing unusual stress levels caused by their parents’ failure to accept their gender identity. They believe that their child has chosen...
by Dennis Coates | Apr 19, 2020 | Critical Thinking, Education, Fitness, Health & Nutrition, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Teen Driving, Teen Success
ADULTING: “The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.” I borrowed this excellent definition from an online search; the term is too new to be included in the...
