Surviving (Your Child's) Adolescence

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.

Adolescence

Parenting Adolescents and the Challenge of Being a Good Boss

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on November 11, 2024

Because the adolescent is less tolerant of parental authority than was the child, there can be more offense taken, and resistance offered, by the independent-minded teenager.

Because the adolescent is less tolerant of parental authority than was the child, there can be more offense taken, and resistance offered, by the independent-minded teenager.

Adolescence

Helping Adolescents Appreciate Hardships

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on October 28, 2024

Most young people don't seek out hardships in life yet get to face some nonetheless. Unhappy as these bad times feel, coping well with them can yield lasting gifts.

Most young people don't seek out hardships in life yet get to face some nonetheless. Unhappy as these bad times feel, coping well with them can yield lasting gifts.

Adolescence

How Parents Can Help Adolescents Build an Awareness of Time

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on October 14, 2024

Healthy vigilance requires an adolescent to maintain a complete sense of time—looking back, looking around, and looking ahead, at what did happen, is happening, and might occur.

Healthy vigilance requires an adolescent to maintain a complete sense of time—looking back, looking around, and looking ahead, at what did happen, is happening, and might occur.

Humor

Parent, Teenager, and the Value of Keeping a Sense of Humor

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

As adolescent growth brings more attraction to worldly temptations, and the consequences of choices become more serious, keeping a sense of humor can help parents lighten up.

As adolescent growth brings more attraction to worldly temptations, and the consequences of choices become more serious, keeping a sense of humor can help parents lighten up.

Adolescence

Considering 4 Possible Stages of Adolescent Growth

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on September 16, 2024

Exciting and scary, adolescence is the coming-of-age passage that over 8 to 10 years transforms the child into a young adult, as the growing-up experience has much to teach.

Exciting and scary, adolescence is the coming-of-age passage that over 8 to 10 years transforms the child into a young adult, as the growing-up experience has much to teach.

Parenting

Parenting and the Power of Adolescent Consent

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

As adolescents gather more power of individual and independent self-determination, it can take more work for parents to get their way than was true with the child.

As adolescents gather more power of individual and independent self-determination, it can take more work for parents to get their way than was true with the child.

Adolescence

Why Parents and Teens Complain About Each Other

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on August 19, 2024

As adolescent growth of independence and individuality progresses, wanting to live more on one's own youthful terms, irritation and incompatibility give rise to more complaints.

As adolescent growth of independence and individuality progresses, wanting to live more on one's own youthful terms, irritation and incompatibility give rise to more complaints.

Parenting

Parenting in Response to Adolescent Dangers

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on August 5, 2024

Parenting a young person through the hazards of growing up requires a sensitive balance between knowing when to protect, when to prepare, and when to do some of both.

Parenting a young person through the hazards of growing up requires a sensitive balance between knowing when to protect, when to prepare, and when to do some of both.

Parenting

Parenting Adolescents and the Power of Adult Example

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on July 22, 2024

Parenting is influential by giving instruction and by showing example, through providing education, and through personal interaction.

Parenting is influential by giving instruction and by showing example, through providing education, and through personal interaction.

Adolescence

Adolescence and Increased Sensitivity to Social Teasing

Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. on July 15, 2024

At an age of growing insecurity, adolescents can put each other down to protect or feel better about themselves, meanly teasing when they do.

At an age of growing insecurity, adolescents can put each other down to protect or feel better about themselves, meanly teasing when they do.