Teenagers- Not Very Cute Somtimes

Ok, ok....I know I need to post something......the 're-entry' back into the school year has been really tough for me...you would think it would be a little easier since we are down to 3 kids in the house, but this has been a rough one for me..one of my little cherubs told me it's because I am 'getting older'- hmmmm, unfortunately, I think that is spot on!

It's so much easier to post things when you have little kids.  They are so cute, they say the darndest things, etc., etc.  Enter the teen years.....(play the theme from Jaws here)

So, let me preface by saying that we are so blessed to have these great kids- we have not had nearly the struggles some of my peers have had with their teens- no drugs, no teen pregnancy, no ADHD or any other acronyms I can think of ...aside from PMS- everyone is AOK.  However, here are some facts about the teen brain-

1. Pictures of the brain in action show that adolescents’ brains function differently than adults when decision-making and problem solving. Their actions are guided more by the amygdala and less by the frontal cortex. Research has also demonstrated that exposure to drugs and alcohol before birth, head trauma, or other types of brain injury can interfere with normal brain development during adolescence.
2. Based on the stage of their brain development, adolescents are more likely to:
   
   • act on impulse
   • misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
   • get into accidents of all kinds
   • get involved in fights
   • engage in dangerous or risky behavior
   Adolescents are less likely to:
   
   • think before they act
   • pause to consider the potential consequences of their actions
   • modify their dangerous or inappropriate behaviors

No kidding....as a parent this is a bit of a relief....I seem to remember my mom telling me that there would be a period of time where the kids would all lose their minds for awhile- I think we are there.
Before my kids get too excited and start using their changing and developing brain as an excuse for, well, everything here is the rest of the study...

• 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. But an awareness of these differences can help parents,understand, anticipate, and manage the behavior of adolescents.

Sorry guys, still going to be...what's the phrase I hear so much?  'On you' about 'everything'-