by Dennis Coates | Jun 24, 2024 | Parenting, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Strong for Parenting, Teen Suicide
You’ve probably heard it said that being a parent is the hardest job in the world. Children are a joy, but they surprise you and challenge you to do things you didn’t know you’d ever have to do. Often just getting through a day can be a major achievement. You have to...
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 | 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 | Jul 22, 2022 | Adolescence, Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Teen Suicide
A hard truth: One of the toughest things about being a parent is the mistakes we make. When I was a parent, I got lucky. I followed my best instincts and made some good things happen. But nobody’s perfect, as they say, and I also lost my temper quite a few...
by Dennis Coates | Jun 7, 2022 | Behavior Change, Education, Health & Nutrition, Parenting, Peer Pressure, Personal Strength, Programs, Teen Culture, Teen Suicide
It’s June 2022, and we are learning about mass murders. Almost on a daily basis. Innocent people dying. Even little kids. Did you see this coming? If you didn’t see it coming, maybe it’s because you didn’t want to believe the signs all around...
by Dennis Coates | May 23, 2022 | Critical Thinking, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting Books, Teen Success, Teen Suicide, Uncategorized
I guess I’m a natural introvert, meaning I spend most of my time in my head, not interacting with people. Not that I can’t engage; I just prefer reflecting about the world around me. It’s a pattern that has served me well in learning, researching,...