Dear Mom and Dad, I am writing this to tell you a little about how I am feeling and let you know that I am trying to understand how you are feeling too. There are some things I would like to ask of you. One, I would like it if you could try to see … Continue reading Raising Teens: Get In Their World
Your Teen Is Changing! What Can You Do About It?
Michelangelo said that when he set out to sculpt a statue from a formless block of marble, he sought only to remove the excess marble from the statue that already existed inside the block. This is what Aristotle called accidental change. Aristotle believed that when change occured, something new came to be, something old passed … Continue reading Your Teen Is Changing! What Can You Do About It?
The Practice of “Still Lake” in Parenting Your Teen
How would you complete the sentence, "Parenthood is......"? http://www.hulu.com/watch/130059/parenthood-parenthood-is?c=0:165 It is pretty amazing, isn't it? Becoming a parent immediately changes you. From that moment forward, you put your child's needs ahead of your own. Parenting is one of the few things that can make you strive to be the best person you can be. Sometimes, it … Continue reading The Practice of “Still Lake” in Parenting Your Teen
What’s Going On? My Teen Seems So Far Away!
One of the barriers to communication is the naturally occurring distancing that takes place during adolescence. Communication during the teen years can be especially challenging because of the rapid changes that occur in their physical bodies and social worlds. The first thing to remember is that as your child moves through the teen years, he/she … Continue reading What’s Going On? My Teen Seems So Far Away!
The Adolescent Brain: What Stays? What Goes?
The brain is a powerful and mysterious thing! It is functioning all of the time, day and night. Certain parts of the brain even have multiple pathways to perform the same task......just in case something goes wrong. There is an entire body of science looking exclusively at what our brain does when we … Continue reading The Adolescent Brain: What Stays? What Goes?
What Where You Thinking?!?! Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex of the Teenage Brain
Have you ever asked your teen, "What were you thinking" and gotten the answer, "I wasn't" or "I don't know." During adolescence, the teenage brain is undergoing subtle, but dynamic changes, all in the midst of major physiological, psychological, and social transitions. Overall, theses changes lead to more sophisticated thinking skills and increases in their … Continue reading What Where You Thinking?!?! Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex of the Teenage Brain
How Do We Help Our Teens Be Achievers in Life?
There is no shortage of information, movies, and opinions about student achievement. Some talk about how to compete in a global economy. Others talk about the increased use of strategies such as cheating or using drugs like Adderall to improve performance. Still others talk about how to promote achievement in a healthy way. Recently, I … Continue reading How Do We Help Our Teens Be Achievers in Life?
Hearing Is Not the Same as Listening to Your Teen
It is just another Monday. A mom takes her kids to school, does a few hours of work, runs an errand, and then heads back to the school to pick her kids up at the end of the day. She arrives at the junior high and her daughter is about 20 minutes late. Then, she … Continue reading Hearing Is Not the Same as Listening to Your Teen
Talk to your teen about sex or someone else is going to!
In the words of Salt-N-Pepa: "Let's Talk About Sex" Talks about relationships and sexuality are a series of revolving conversations. It really starts the first time a child says, "Where do babies come from?" It is inevitable. By the time your child hits the teenage years he/she has been exposed to countless songs, images, magazines, … Continue reading Talk to your teen about sex or someone else is going to!
Stand By Teens When They Make Mistakes
Recently, I shared some bad news with a good friend of mine and she sent me this video. The video served two purposes: (1) She wanted me to know that she would stand by me through the hard times and (2) she wanted to communicate how important it was for me to stand by others. … Continue reading Stand By Teens When They Make Mistakes