Why a Growth Mindset Helps Students Tackle Challenges
Students start the school year with all sorts of supplies. They also bring something intangible but very important for their success: a set of beliefs about their ability to learn.
Teenagers
How to Talk to Teenagers Without Yelling
Does it seem like every conversation with your teenager ends in a power struggle or argument ? There are no guaranteed strategies to eliminate all parent-teen miscommunication but learning some tips for how to talk to teenagers can improve the odds! Be very clear about your emotions instead of leaving it to your teenager to… Read More →
The Brain Benefits of Boredom
My mom had a consistent and clear response to me and my two older brothers when we complained of being bored. Her response was always simply, “If you’re bored, I’ll give you something better to do.” Keep in mind that her assigned activities didn’t include playing, Pinterest activities, or popsicles. We quickly figured out that… Read More →
Empathy and Teens: Raising Kids Who Care
“I’d like you to close your eyes,” I often say at workshops that I facilitate across the country. “Now visualize the kind of adults you hope your children become.” I add that I am not interested in them conjuring up logistical visions, for example, where they hope their children go to school or the kind… Read More →
Media Literacy Matters
Children and youth today have the world at their fingertips. They can access libraries with the click of a button, download thousands of books on smart devices, and read newspapers from across the globe. While many young people may be physically separated by geography and/or socially separated by race or income, the Internet has been… Read More →
Dopamine and the Teenage Brain
Parents have long associated adolescence with increased risk taking. This can be frustrating and even scary for parents, but developmental science has helped us better understand the neurological basis of risky adolescent behavior. In previous blog posts we’ve written a lot about the teenage brain. As young people are beginning to exercise their independence the… Read More →
How to Talk With Your Kids About Sex, Sexuality, and Consent
Many parents drag their feet into the dreaded “sex talk” with their children. Maybe it’s time we take the pressure off of that single talk. If we want the sex and relationships our children ultimately have to be physically, psychologically, and emotionally healthy then we’d better start talking to them about it early and often.… Read More →
7 Ways Setting Limits Can Go Awry
And what to try instead
“Sometimes I feel like my kids are out of control,” worried one parent. Another quickly added, “My daughter knows just how to push my buttons.” A third chimed in with, “I’m always in a power struggle with my four-year-old son.” Comments like these are common in parenting workshops, and I’ve uttered versions of my own… Read More →
Facing the Facts About Cyberbullying
Young people today are wrestling with the same questions that Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers alike did when they were teenagers. Questions like, “Who am I?” and “Who do I want to be?” They are also riding the same emotional roller coasters trying to sort out friendships and identity. They are at times amazingly caring, kind,… Read More →
Books, Blogs and Teens: Raising Readers
“My son used to love reading when he was a little guy,” a mom recently lamented. “Now I honestly can’t remember the last time he read for fun.” This parent isn’t alone in expressing concern about her child’s waning interest in reading as he grows older. The latest reports point to steep drops in literary… Read More →