Surviving (Your Child's) Adolescence

Forgiveness

Parenting Adolescents and the Need for Forgiveness

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on November 23, 2025

Most parents and adolescents at some point will find themselves acting in ways that cause emotional injury to each other. Forgiveness allows them to move on.

Most parents and adolescents at some point will find themselves acting in ways that cause emotional injury to each other. Forgiveness allows them to move on.

Adolescence

Managing Parental Fears When Rearing an Adolescent

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on November 14, 2025

Because an adolescent pushes for more worldly exposures and experiences to grow, a teenager has more dangers to beware than a child.

Because an adolescent pushes for more worldly exposures and experiences to grow, a teenager has more dangers to beware than a child.

Adolescence

When a Teenager Is Driving Parents "Crazy"

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on November 6, 2025

When it feels like their teenager is running the family and they have been driven to distraction, parents have to restore emotional responsibility and leadership influence.

When it feels like their teenager is running the family and they have been driven to distraction, parents have to restore emotional responsibility and leadership influence.

Adolescence

How a Child’s Growing Up Becomes More Uncomfortable to Do

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on October 24, 2025

Adolescence changes the old parent-child relationship as more differentiation and distance grow between them. Now they must communicate to stay connected as children grow.

Adolescence changes the old parent-child relationship as more differentiation and distance grow between them. Now they must communicate to stay connected as children grow.

Adolescence

4 Developmental Changes to Expect in Adolescent Behavior

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on October 9, 2025

As the adolescent separates from childhood, parent and teenager must accept more diversity and disagreement in their relationship.

As the adolescent separates from childhood, parent and teenager must accept more diversity and disagreement in their relationship.

Adolescence

Parenting Adolescents and Three Challenges of Keeping Order

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on September 23, 2025

Adolescence disorganizes the child's simpler world of functioning and distracts attention to respond to the increasing complexity of what is now going on. Order keeps it together.

Adolescence disorganizes the child's simpler world of functioning and distracts attention to respond to the increasing complexity of what is now going on. Order keeps it together.

Adolescence

Parents, Adolescents, and the Power of Regret

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on September 8, 2025

For most parents and adult children, looking back on their adolescent passage together and the choices made is likely to engender some regrets over what they did and didn't do.

For most parents and adult children, looking back on their adolescent passage together and the choices made is likely to engender some regrets over what they did and didn't do.

Adolescence

Normal Disorganization and Distractibility in Adolescence

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on September 4, 2025

As one grows into and out of adolescence, coping with more complexity is part of the personal challenge. Coaching and practice can make a positive difference.

As one grows into and out of adolescence, coping with more complexity is part of the personal challenge. Coaching and practice can make a positive difference.

Relationships

Parent and Step-Parent Conflicts Over Adolescents

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on August 21, 2025

By increasing the mix of individual differences in the family, causing strangers to live on intimate terms, and creating rivalry for the parent, step relationships can be challenging.

By increasing the mix of individual differences in the family, causing strangers to live on intimate terms, and creating rivalry for the parent, step relationships can be challenging.

Parenting

Parenting Adolescents and the Use of Blame

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on June 8, 2025

Tired, frustrated, or irritated by the latest teenage experiment or escapade, it's easy for parents to vent their displeasure through blame—but that is usually unwise to do.

Tired, frustrated, or irritated by the latest teenage experiment or escapade, it's easy for parents to vent their displeasure through blame—but that is usually unwise to do.

Education

Adolescence and the Value of Mistake-Based Education

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on May 12, 2025

Adolescence is a time for more trial-and-error learning, taking more worldly risks than before, and learning from good choices and mistakes as they grow.

Adolescence is a time for more trial-and-error learning, taking more worldly risks than before, and learning from good choices and mistakes as they grow.

Relationships

The Lessons of First Love

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on April 21, 2025

For starters, the three rules of mutuality.

For starters, the three rules of mutuality.

Sport and Competition

Adolescence and the Growing Challenges of Competition

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on April 14, 2025

Engaging in competition enables an adolescent to test capacities, make effort, strive against others, and maybe win or get ahead.

Engaging in competition enables an adolescent to test capacities, make effort, strive against others, and maybe win or get ahead.

Adolescence

Managing Expectations About Adolescent Change

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on March 18, 2025

It helps parents to have realistic expectations about teenage growth to anticipate how adolescence changes the child, the parent, and the relationship between them.

It helps parents to have realistic expectations about teenage growth to anticipate how adolescence changes the child, the parent, and the relationship between them.

Adolescence

How Adolescence Can Strain the Old Parent-Child Relationship

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on March 3, 2025

As adolescence causes the child to grow apart from childhood and parents, it can ease the passage when parents empathetically understand how hard these changes can be.

As adolescence causes the child to grow apart from childhood and parents, it can ease the passage when parents empathetically understand how hard these changes can be.

Adolescence

Adolescence and the Loss of Parental Authority

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on February 3, 2025

Parents must provide responsible adult authority on which the child can depend; as adolescence proceeds, they must teach the teenager to assume more responsible self-ruling power.

Parents must provide responsible adult authority on which the child can depend; as adolescence proceeds, they must teach the teenager to assume more responsible self-ruling power.

Adolescence

Addressing a Problem With Your Adolescent

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on January 13, 2025

One part of parenting is deciding when their teenager poses or has a problem; another is dealing with the problem in a rationally constructive and not emotionally upset way.

One part of parenting is deciding when their teenager poses or has a problem; another is dealing with the problem in a rationally constructive and not emotionally upset way.

Adolescence

4 Fundamental Changes That Drive a Child's Adolescence

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on December 30, 2024

To enter adolescence and begin the coming-of-age passage, a young person has to separate from childhood and assert more independence in a variety of ways.

To enter adolescence and begin the coming-of-age passage, a young person has to separate from childhood and assert more independence in a variety of ways.

Adolescence

When Your Adolescent Doesn't Feel Like They're Good Enough

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on December 2, 2024

It's easy for young adolescents to feel down when comparing themselves to peers and to end up feeling not good enough. Parents can help.

It's easy for young adolescents to feel down when comparing themselves to peers and to end up feeling not good enough. Parents can help.

Parenting

Parenting While Managing Growing Separation From Your Child

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on November 25, 2024

For parents, adolescence begins with loss of their closely connected child who is separating from childhood and from them for room to grow, becoming more distant on that account.

For parents, adolescence begins with loss of their closely connected child who is separating from childhood and from them for room to grow, becoming more distant on that account.