Parenting the Teenage Brain: Understanding a Work in Progress
High-tech scans of the brains of teenagers and adults show marked differences that explain teens’ moodiness and lack of focus, which parents have always attributed to hormones. It turns out that teenage brains are changing right along with teenage bodies. Feinstein begins by examining current research on how teen brains differ from adult brains and what that means for adolescent emotions and actions. Among the findings from brain scans: teens and adults rely on different parts of the brain, and parts of the adolescent brain increase in efficiency by 100 percent. Separate chapters focus on how their developing brains affect teens’ decisions and actions socially, emotionally, and in school. The chapter on physical changes includes frank discussion of gay, lesbian, and transgender sexuality. Feinstein also analyzes parenting styles and strategies, sorting out what works (strong communication, support, and trust) and what doesn’t (nagging, lecturing, and arguing). The final chapter offers a book-club format for parents interested in more closely pursuing the advice and materials in a group setting. Feinstein provides practical advice, but what makes her book particularly interesting is the insight on how the adolescent brain functions. --Vanessa Bush--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.