by Annette

Created on: July 06, 2009

If all parents and teenagers, over the ages, could not see eye to eye there must certainly be a reason. Something other than, teenagers are just difficult or strange. The fights are always about the same issues. You can talk to any parent. The complaints are the same.

They don't clean their rooms or they leave dirty dishes all over the house. Empty juice boxes are put back in the fridge or left on the table. Inconsistency and teens are synonyms. Irresponsible actions get them into trouble, time and time again. Emotional outbursts contrasting extreme moments of happiness and uncontrolled silly actions.

You as a parent feel that all you ever do is fighting and they can't understand why you make such a fuss.

Eveline Crone at the Leiden University, in the Netherlands, did intensive research on the brain of the adolescent. She came to the conclusion that certain parts of the brain of the adolescent develop quicker than the rest. She found that the area, where the emotions are situated, develops much quicker than the cortex. The cortex is the front of the brain where the ability to control actions, is situated. This can explain the uncontrolled emotional outbursts teenagers suffer from.

This information also explains why teenagers, sometimes, seem completely fearless. The cortex that are fully developed in adults are not fully developed yet, in the teenager. Things you won't dream of doing will be no problem to them. They will have no fear in experimenting with drugs, sex and alcohol. Their brain can't tell them when it is time to stop.

The responsibly to keep them safe, therefore, stays that of the parent. Crone, also says that it does not help to try lengthy explanations on a teenager. They simply do not get it. It is not their goal to disappoint you or just be difficult, they are really not in control of their actions. Children younger that 16 should be kept away from situation where they won't have control. Any form of pressure will let them falter. Not because they want to but because the social area of the brain is more developed than the cortex. Being part of the group and having fun is nice and they don't realize when the fun becomes dangerous.

With this knowledge we as parents will understand our teenagers strange behavior better and realize that they can't account for some of the things they do. The information should also make teenagers know that their parents do know better and they should accept it when parents, sometimes, refuse certain requests.

Crone's book "Het Puberende Brein" about this subject is available but it seems to be only in Dutch, at this moment.

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