Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting Teenagers
Kids & Family
Sometimes teens behave in ways that seem truly inexplicable. One day they'd rather die than miss a trip to the mall with their friends...and the next they can’t stand a single one of those same friends! They want to join the lacrosse team but won’t go to a single practice, date someone new every week, and change their future career three times in one day. It seems like they’re being motivated by something behind the scenes…something that even they don’t understand!
In reality, teens are acting under the influence of all sorts of brain chemicals that developed as a result of evolution. Beyond just the reproductive hormones like testosterone and estrogen that we often associate with adolescence, kids are motivated by their internal reward system, including chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals cause teens to form habits and reward-seeking patterns that not only shape their teenage lives, but potentially their adult lives too!
To understand how these chemical forces work in the teenage brain, we’re talking to Loretta Breuning, author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels. Loretta is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, which provides resources for people to understand their pleasure-seeking brain chemicals and cultivate a happier life!
In our interview, Loretta explains how oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins work, how these chemicals change teens’ behavior, and what happens when teens don’t get enough of them.
Ep 253: How to Clean Up a Mental Mess
Ep 252: Feeling Blah? Recapture Life's Highs
Ep 251: Shaping Identity with Values
Ep 250: Homeschool vs Traditional School
Ep 249: The Keys to Instilling Confidence
Ep 248: What Would Gen-Z Do?
Ep 247: The Surprising Benefits of an Idle Summer
Ep 246: What to Say to Get Your Way
Ep 245: The Dyslexic Advantage
Ep 244: Financial Habits for Savvy Teens
Ep 243: Raising Brave Teens
Ep 242: What Kind of Parent Do You Want to Be?
Ep 241: Lonely? Master the Art of Social Gatherings
Ep 240: The Perfectionist’s Guide to Parenting
Ep 239: How to Be A Drama Free Family
Ep 238: The Advantages of Being a Beginner
Ep 237: Visible and Invisible Differences
Ep 236: Navigating the Tween Years
Ep 235: The Hidden Power of High Sensitivity
Ep 234: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
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