The Thistle - An E-Newsletter of Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia

Understanding Your Adolescent Son

Is your son forgetful, disorganised, emotionally reactive to small things he disagrees with or unable to manage his moods and distractions? Is his room like a dump site some days, does he lose things easily?

You may feel slightly more forgiving after reading an insightful blog by Maggie Dent entitled 'Helping our teens to cope, conquer and shine'. Brain changes, along with hormonal and body changes create a window of vulnerability in the early stages of adolescence. It is something worth reading about.

Adolescence can be a bumpy ride. Maggie Dent urges parents and those working with adolescents to navigate the tipping point and to 'be the grown-up who has a prefrontal … and care for your own and their friends with gestures of kindness, messages of encouragement, moments of lightness and staying in touch'.

Ms Shauna Lipscombe
Senior School Psychologist