[Music] parents need to know that the teen brain is still developing and will not reach full maturation till about the age of 25 the cerebellum which is at the back of the brain matures first and is responsible for physical activity coordination and the pursuit of interesting recreational activities this is one of the reason why teens prefer being so active the igula or emotional brain is very active and this is why teens tend to overreact emotionally the front of the brain or the frontal cortex is responsible for a person thinking clearly organizing decision making memorizing controlling
impulses and judgment it is very underdeveloped in teens and is the reason why their planning in organization is sometimes a little limited the Sarah bellan and mdala exert most of the influence on the teen brain so this is a period of time that kids are not showing good self-control or thinking about their safety and the consequences of their actions what does this mean for parents well Jane because the brain is still maturing teens do not always exercise self-control and they do not always think about the consequences of of their actions they sometimes make poor choices
which could lead to risk taking with cars drugs tobacco and sex as parents we need to help them think about different situations and problem solve ahead of time without taking over teens sometimes don't hear the information given to them in the same way that adults do so even if you think you have explained something clearly they still may not understand ask them how they see the situation you may have to re-explain the information again the brain is made up of many kinds of cells as the brain matures and develops Connections in the brain that get
used a lot will become stronger if these areas of the brain are not used they will die through a process known as pruning kids who exercise their brains by learning new skills are helping their brains to develop and mature so encourage new experiences and opportunities such as learning a new language music Sports Hobbies volunteer work or involvement in a club in our busy culture it is too common to be isolated from one another find ways to connect with other parents of teens through your faith group School sporting events or work compare notes and share ideas
in order to support and learn from one another check out different information at parenting workshops incredible online sources for more information see our video library on parenting teenagers at healthunited
