by Dennis Coates | Jan 9, 2023 | Adolescence, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Peer Pressure, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Teen Suicide
Today I read a disturbing article. The truth: the executives of tech companies that create social media don’t care. They not only don’t care if their technologies are addictive, they’re counting on it. They don’t care that vulnerable children...
by Dennis Coates | Nov 7, 2022 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Mentoring, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success, Work, Youth Athletics
I had the chance to interact with a niece recently, a high school freshman I hadn’t seen in a while. These encounters are rare, since both of us have busy lives and she lives 50 miles away. So I couldn’t help myself. I had to take the opportunity to gift...
by Dennis Coates | Sep 12, 2022 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Education, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Strong for Parenting, Teen Success, Teen Suicide
Truth-telling time. The most common mistake parents make when interacting with their child is failing to recognize when they should be listening, and they miss the opportunity. I call these opportunities listening moments. Here are some of the most common parent-child...
by Dennis Coates | Sep 6, 2022 | 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 | Aug 15, 2022 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting Books, Teen Success
When asked about teen brain development, I’m challenged to boil a huge amount of research down to a few facts. Here’s how I explain it: At the onset of puberty, a child’s body and brain are flooded with growth hormones. The resulting changes in the...
by Dennis Coates | Aug 4, 2022 | Critical Thinking, Education, Parenting, Personal Strength, Self-Esteem, Strong for Parenting, Teen Culture, Teen Success
Children are miracles. Loving parents know this. But kids start out life innocent and only learn what they observe and they’re taught. And these days, slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” are visible everywhere. When required to declare race on a...