What do teenagers think about

Their actions are guided more by the emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the thoughtful, logical frontal cortex. Research has also shown that exposure to drugs and alcohol during the teen years can change or delay these developments. These brain differences don't mean that young people can't make good decisions or tell the difference between right and wrong. It also doesn't mean that they shouldn't be held responsible for their actions. However, an awareness of these differences can help parents, teachers, advocates, and policy makers understand, anticipate, and manage the behavior of adolescents.

Your support will help us continue to produce and distribute Facts for Families , as well as other vital mental health information, free of charge. You may also mail in your contribution. Box , Washington, DC Discussing tough topics openly with kids before they're exposed to them actually makes it more likely that they'll act responsibly when the time comes. Share your family values with your teen and talk about what you believe is right and wrong, and why.

Know your child's friends — and know their friends' parents. Regular communication between parents can go a long way toward creating a safe environment for all teens in a peer group. Parents can help each other keep track of the kids' activities without making the kids feel that they're being watched. A certain amount of change is normal during the teen years. But too drastic or long-lasting a switch in personality or behavior may signal real trouble — the kind that needs professional help.

Watch for these warning signs:. Any other inappropriate behavior that lasts for more than 6 weeks can be a sign of underlying trouble, too. Your doctor or a local counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can help you find proper counseling. Some parents, understandably, have a very hard time with this one. They may feel that anything their kids do is their business.

But to help your teen become a young adult, you'll need to grant some privacy. If you notice warning signs of trouble, then you can invade your child's privacy until you get to the heart of the problem. But otherwise, it's a good idea to back off. In other words, your teenager's room, texts, e-mails, and phone calls should be private.

You also shouldn't expect your teen to share all thoughts or activities with you at all times. Of course, for safety reasons, you should always know where teens are going, when they'll be returning, what they're doing, and with whom, but you don't need to know every detail.

And you definitely shouldn't expect to be invited along! Start with trust. Tell your teen that you trust him or her, but if the trust gets broken, he or she will enjoy fewer freedoms until it's rebuilt. TV shows, magazines and books, the Internet — kids have access to tons of information.

Be aware of what yours watch and read. Don't be afraid to set limits on the amount of time spent in front of the computer or the TV. Know what they're learning from the media and who they may be communicating with online.

Teens shouldn't have unlimited access to TV or the Internet in private — these should be public activities. Access to technology also should be limited after certain hours for example, 10 p.

It's not unreasonable to have cellphones and computers off limits after a certain time. Bedtime for a teenager should be age appropriate, just as it was when your child was a baby. Teens still need about hours of sleep. Encourage your teen to stick to a sleep schedule that will meet those needs. Reward your teen for being trustworthy. Has he or she kept to a 10 p. Move it to p. And does a teen always have to go along on family outings? Encourage a reasonable amount of family time together, but be flexible.

Don't be insulted when your growing child doesn't always want to be with you. Think back: You probably felt the same way about your mom and dad. How the world views teenagers. Final Thought The transition from adolescence to adulthood is hard, and the negative perceptions that are often associated with teenagers may make this more difficult.

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