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,...
by Dennis Coates | Apr 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
Across the street lives a beautiful family: a nine-year-old boy, a four-year-old girl, and parents who spend a lot of time with them outdoors teaching them things. A lot of fun. A lot of love. I’ve enjoyed watching the kids grow up. I sometimes wonder what the...
by Dennis Coates | Jan 31, 2022 | Behavior Change, Encouragement, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Parenting Books, Rebellion, Uncategorized
So many of the emotional flare-ups and conflicts that arise between parent and child are triggered by the failure to communicate effectively. Instead, we react emotionally, with frustration or anger. It’s only natural, but it alienates your child. It’s an...
by Dennis Coates | Nov 1, 2021 | Alcohol, Behavior Change, Drugs, Education, Parent-child Communication, Parenting, Teen Driving, Teen Success, Uncategorized
All my writing these days is about how you talk to your child. But parents communicate in other, very powerful ways. When my two sons were small boys, I had never heard the term “parenting.” I knew nothing about techniques or skills that would make me a...
by Dennis Coates | Mar 22, 2019 | Adolescent Brain, Fitness, Guest Blog Posts, Health & Nutrition, Teen Success, Uncategorized
What’s happening as an adolescent child matures toward adulthood is complicated, so it’s important to know what’s going on. But when parents are given insightful information, their first question is: What should I do about it? In this post I share a...
by Dennis Coates | Feb 25, 2019 | Adolescence, Adolescent Brain, Alcohol, Critical Thinking, Drugs, Parenting, Parenting Books, Personal Strength, Teen Culture, Teen Success, Uncategorized
I recently had breakfast with some friends who have a graduating high school senior. He’s a great kid who wants to be a speech therapist and has been accepted into the right university for that training. Also, I pointed out that in addition to this wonderful...
