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Parenting and the Teen Brain: What You Need to Know

Presentation to West High School parents, United Way Community Engagement May 2, 2011. Parenting and the Teen Brain: What You Need to Know. Presentation outline:. What is adolescence, the health paradox, and the teen brain What to do? Five principles . What is adolescence?.

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Parenting and the Teen Brain: What You Need to Know

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  1. Presentation to West High School parents, United Way Community Engagement May 2, 2011 Parenting and the Teen Brain: What You Need to Know

  2. Presentation outline: • What is adolescence, the health paradox, and the teen brain • What to do? Five principles

  3. What is adolescence? • Second decade of life

  4. What is adolescence? • Second decade of life • Bridge between childhood and adulthood

  5. What is adolescence? • Second decade of life • Bridge between childhood and adulthood • Key psychosocial tasks

  6. What is adolescence? • Second decade of life • Bridge between childhood and adulthood • Key psychosocial tasks • Health paradox

  7. The “Health Paradox”Source: Dahl (2005) On one hand… Measures of most abilities show that adolescence is the healthiest and most resilient period of the lifespan But on the other hand… Clinical problems and mortality rates increase 200 to 300 percent

  8. Primary causes of clinical problems and mortality during adolescence are related to difficulties with control of behavior and emotion

  9. What is adolescence? • Second decade of life • Bridge between childhood and adulthood • Key psychosocial tasks • Health paradox • Brain changes

  10. Key Neuroscience Discoveries

  11. Imaging technology provides windows into the developing brain

  12. Key discoveries: • Profound brain growth with the start of adolescence • Remodeling of basic structure

  13. Human Brain Development ADOLESCENCE Blue represents maturing areas

  14. Two areas in particular… • Cognition • Information processing NEO CORTEX • Emotion • Memory • Reward • Relationship LIMBIC

  15. Limbic brain: very active Directs motivation amygdala Regulates emotion

  16. Neocortex: still developing CEO: judgment, decision making, planning ahead Critical thinking and abstract reasoning skills come online PFC is the last area to come to full maturity

  17. Key discoveries: • Profound brain growth with the start of adolescence • Remodeling of basic structure • Pruning: “Use it or lose it” • The brain does not reach full maturity until about age 25!

  18. Auto insurance ad in Wall Street Journal February 2009

  19. Teen Brain Teen Behavior • Social connections, emphasis on friends • Moodiness, quick to anger, hot emotions • Propensity for low effort, high excitement activities • Increased risk taking, decreased planning ahead • Active limbic brain • Limits to emotional regulation • Limits to motivation • Still-developing prefrontal cortex

  20. This is all biologically-driven, normative, and inevitable!

  21. Parents have influence – but what to do? Five principles to guide action.

  22. Express care and support Spend time together Notice and appreciate positive behaviors 1. The relationship matters.

  23. 2. Create and encourage positive, rewarding experiences. Fun activities Include friends? Family dinners

  24. Frequent family dinners (5 or more weekly) Source: Dane Co. Youth Assessment (2009)

  25. Bottom line: you’re in competition for their reward circuitry (and it’s not a level playing field) Reward amygdala

  26. 3. Clear expectations. • Prioritize • Negotiate • Consistency

  27. “No use” alcohol rule. I don’t want you drinking, but if you do… be safe, drink responsibly… use moderation… etc. etc. etc. I don’t want you drinking, period. Permissive Non-permissive Undecided Risk Risk Protective factor

  28. My parents set clear rules (% strongly agree) Source: Dane Co. Youth Assessment (2009)

  29. 4. Monitor behavior. • Parents as surrogate “frontal lobes” • Trust but verify • What to monitor: • Whereabouts and activities

  30. My parents usually know where I am(% strongly agree) Source: Dane Co. Youth Assessment (2009)

  31. 4. Monitor behavior. • Parents as surrogate “frontal lobes” • Trust but verify • What to monitor: • Whereabouts and activities • Status at curfew • Parties and overnights • Also, monitor alcohol in the home or garage, Rx drugs/ medicine cabinet

  32. 5. Accountability. The teen brain learns through experience. Stay calm, cool, and collected. The best consequences are immediate, natural, firm but fair, and consistent.

  33. Bottom line: clear limits, monitoring, and accountability help shore up the brakes

  34. Summary • The teen brain is a work in progress • Adolescence is a period of opportunity and vulnerability • There are clear principles that guide parent influence • Small adjustments on your part can lead to large impacts

  35. Suggested readings: • The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids. • Strauch, B. (2003). NY: Anchor Books. • The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting. • Steinberg, L. (2004). NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. • You and Your Adolescent: A Parent’s Guide for Ages 10-20(Revised edition). • Steinberg, L., & Levine, A. (1997). NY: Harper Resource. • Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child. • Gottman, J., & Declaire, J. (1998). NY: Simon & Schuster.

  36. Thank you. s.caldwell@tds.net

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