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| Vol. 23: This Issue |
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Making Sense
of Adolescence
Even smart kids do stupid things. It’s a simple
fact of life. No one makes it through the teenage years
unscathed—not the teens and not their parents.
But now there’s expert help for both generations
in this groundbreaking new guide for surviving the drama
of adolescence.
 WHY
Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent
Brain for You and Your Teen, the latest book
from award-winning psychologist David Walsh, goes way
beyond the well-known issues of hormones and peer pressure.
It’s the first book to explain the changes in teens’
brains and show parents how to use this information
to understand, communicate with, and stay connected
to their kids.
Through real-life stories, WHY Do They Act That
Way? offers an enjoyable new perspective on
teen problems and an arsenal of strategies for helping
adolescents and adults through them. Armed with a new
understanding of the teenage brain and a new set of
effective responses to small and serious, emerging and
entrenched problems, parents can help their kids learn
to control impulses, manage erratic behavior, avoid
drug and alcohol use, cope with their changing bodies,
focus their minds, and, in effect, develop a second
brain. Dr. Walsh’s proven tactics for averting
conflicts, keeping teens healthy and safe, educating
and guiding them, and solving many other parenting challenges
will be extremely welcome to frustrated parents trying
to help their children through this confusing time of
life.
This important new book is available for purchase online
and at all major bookstores and retailers, including
Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Target Stores.
Ask for it today at your favorite bookseller. |
Q
& A with David Walsh, Ph.D.
Why did you write WHY Do
They Act That Way?
I’ve worked with teens for more than
thirty years as a high school teacher, coach,
and psychologist. The groundbreaking research
on the teen brain not only explains much of
their baffling behavior; it also helps us figure
out more effective strategies for raising and
teaching our teenagers.
Are we doing a good job with our teenagers
in this country?
We can do a lot better. Only forty-seven percent
of American teens think adults like and respect
them. That’s a sad commentary on how we
adults are doing. I hope that WHY Do They Act
That Way? will change that. Once we have a better
understanding of what’s going on inside
their heads, we’ll get better at figuring
out what they need.
So what do teenagers need?
There are hundreds of answers to that question
in this book, but they all fall under three
major headings. Adolescents need connection,
guidance and love. Too many kids are not getting
enough of those three essential ingredients.
WHY Do They Act That Way? gives real life examples.
I coach parents how to talk to teens about relationships,
sex, drugs, and other important issues.
Who would benefit from reading WHY
Do They Act That Way?
Parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, employers….anyone
who cares about kids. Yesterday I talked with
a police officer who read an advance copy of
the book. He told me that every policeman in
America needs to know this information. I hadn’t
thought of police officers when I wrote the
book, but he did make sense. The new brain information
about teens has a ton of practical implications
for anyone dealing with teens.
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| “Down to earth experience
together with the latest findings on brain development,
this book is a wonderful resource for parents,
or for that matter, anyone who interacts with
adolescents.”
John Nelson, M.D. MPH, Trustee of the American
Medical Association
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Institute
Unveils TeenWiseParents.org
New Web Site Hosts
Information and Discussion about
WHY Do They Act That Way?
The National Institute on Media and the Family
is excited to announce
TeenWiseParents.org. This new Web site includes
a discussion guide and excerpts from WHY
Do They Act That Way?
Visitors can learn about the author, purchase
the book, read reviews, access press releases,
and participate in online chats with Dr. Walsh.
TeenWiseParents.org also has links to other
on-line resources for teens and their parents.
Visit TeenWiseParents
today! |
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Teens
Give Adults Poor Grades in Listening Skills
and Preventing Harmful Behavior
The Uhlich Children's Advantage Network recently
released its annual Uhlich Teen Report Card
that measures from where American teenagers
get their information, and who influences them.
The survey found that 56 percent of teenagers
depend on television for influencing their opinion
on world, national, and local events. Newspapers
came in second place (11.5 percent), followed
by the Internet (8.8 percent), and magazines
in last place (3 percent).
Teens revealed they most turn to adults for
perspective on the news, with parents and family
members at the top (41 percent), followed by
friends and peers (27.5 percent). Only 1.2 percent
of teens chose clergy members.
According to the survey, each year between 1999
and 2004, more than 35 percent of young people
again and again gave failing grades (Ds and
Fs) to adults in the following categories: “Really
Listening to – and Understanding Young
People,” “Getting Rid of Gangs,”
“Stopping Young People from Smoking,”
“Stopping Young People from Using Drugs,”
and “Stopping Young People from Drinking.”
This year, over 40 percent of teens graded adults
below average (D or F) in “Really Listening
to – and Understanding Young People.”
You can learn more about the Uhlich Teen Report
Card by visiting http://www.ucanchicago.org/reportcard |
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What
Are the Experts Saying About WHY Do They
Act That Way?
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“This superb book combines science, psychology,
and direct experience with adolescents to create a
warm-hearted, intelligent, and practical guide. Parents
will find the book immensely informative, reassuring,
and useful. I highly recommend it!”
Edward
Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to Distraction,
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, and Dare to
Forgive
“Dr. Walsh is a teacher, scientist, therapist,
and parent and all of these roles enable him to deliver
a powerful, practical book on the teenage brain. This
book is an easy read, but its message is fresh, nuanced,
and important. I recommend it to all parents who ask
themselves, "Why do they act this way?”
Mary
Pipher, Ph.D., author, Reviving Ophelia
“This book belongs on the shelf in every middle
and high school library and in the office of every
school administrator who deals with adolescents.”
Thomas
R. Stevens, headmaster, Rocky Mount Academy, Rocky
Mount, NC
“The adolescent brain is NOT an oxymoron! Parents
and teachers need to understand its critical developmental
needs, and Dr. Walsh's clear, scientific, and humane
counsel is just the ticket. I especially like his
real-life stories and the chapter on helping kids
manage the media.”
Jane
M. Healy, Ph.D., educational psychologist and author
of Your Child's Growing Mind and Failure to Connect
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Experience
Dr. Walsh's Newest Workshop
Learn How Parents and
Teens Can Survive Adolescence
Based upon WHY Do They Act That Way?, Dr. Walsh’s
newest workshop reveals the latest scientific findings
in easy-to-understand terms. He shows why moodiness,
quickness to anger and to take risks, miscommunication,
fatigue, territoriality, and other familiar teenage
behavior are so common — all are linked to physical
changes and growth in the adolescent brain.
Dr. Walsh explains the changes in teens’ brains
and shows parents and anyone who works with kids how
to use this information to understand, communicate
with, and stay connected to their kids. He also explores
the short- and long-term effects of drug and alcohol
use on adolescent brain development, the effects of
computer games and other media activities, the brain
differences between the sexes, and how to talk to
your teen about sex and the epidemic of sexually transmitted
diseases.
Those who attend Dr. Walsh’s workshops leave
with exciting new information based on cutting edge
research. More important, however, they leave with
a renewed sense of energy and with practical strategies
for success.
To schedule a workshop, please contact Gwen Aaberg
of the National Institute on Media and the Family
at 1-888-672-5437 or 612-672-5437.
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You can help
us help families
Future research and outreach efforts could not be possible
without continued support. The Institute accepts donations
via mail, telephone, and online:
606 24th Avenue South, Suite 606
Minneapolis, MN, 55454
1-888-672-5437 • www.mediafamily.org
Concerned about how media violence and disrespect affects
your family?
What:
Support the important work of the National Institute
on Media and the Family.
Why: Kids
need your help. The Institute is a nonprofit organization.
Your gift helps us help parents and educators help children.
How: Send
your tax-deductable gift to:
National Institute
on Media and the Family
Riverside Professional Building
606 24th Ave. South, Suite 606
Minneapolis, MN 55454-1438
Who: YOU
can make a difference for our children.
Also:
How you
can help.
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