Teaching Your Teen to Fly – Part 1

Their Brain

With all the teen years’ turbulence, how do you and your teen not just survive, but thrive?
Young children look at the world very simply. Things are black or white, good or bad, right or wrong. They have a problem seeing the shades of gray. If a good person makes one mistake, are they still good? If something that is seen as right has unforeseen negative consequences, how could it be wrong?

At birth, a child’s brain is not fully grown. Most of its growth happens from birth through age 5. What happens during adolescence is the formation of connections.

Before adulthood, kids are thinking with their emotions. If you can’t understand why there is no logic in how they think and what they do, there isn’t any at this point. It is all about how they feel.
Adolescence is when the brain is making connections. It is the perfect time to develop good habits and learn new things. We never stop making connections, but this is when the majority are made.
We need to take advantage of this and let our kids know what an opportunity they have! If they spend the time NOW, it can help them get set up for life!

If they don’t, it can also make the rest of their life harder. Research has shown that if someone begins activities like drug or alcohol abuse, these addictions can be harder to overcome later in life. (The Teenage Brain by Frances E. Jensen, MD)

It is crucial also to realize that at any stage of life, change is possible. As a parent, don’t give up on yourself because of deeply entrenched habits you’ve had since your youth. Research in neuroplasticity has shown that we are always capable of learning and growing. It doesn’t ever stop, and we can stimulate growth by working on getting out of old habits.

Look at your child’s teen years as an opportunity for you both to grow!

If you’d like some help homeschooling your teen I have a Teen Coaching program. I work one on one with your teen to create an individualized education that will help them realize their genius. You can find out more information HERE.

I also have a parent workshop series that helps parents communicate better with their teens, motivate their teens, and prepare their teens for life after homeschool. If this is of interest you can find out more HERE.

Find PART 2 on Your Role in Their Life – HERE.

Find PART 3 on No Teens Allowed – HERE.