Your Teenager's Brain
Adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood
This stage of life is marked by increased learning abilities, the importance of social groups and friends, and the want and need for more independence. The changes in an adolescent brain and the associated increase in risk-taking activities can be difficult for some adults to understand.
Recent discoveries in neuroscience have shown that our brains change rapidly during our teenage years and continue to develop until our mid-twenties. Every teenager has different life experiences, and there are lots of factors that influence how someone feels and behaves.
All the emotional support that you give your teenager will help them to make strong connections in the neocortex (the ‘upstairs brain’). These connections help them to learn about:
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Managing their emotions & behaviour (self-regulation)
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Dealing with challenges (resilience)
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The way others see things (empathy)