A Parent's Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains: Why They Act The Way They Do

by Mark Oestreicher

It’s often tough to understand why teenagers do what they do. One moment they’re calm and rational, but the next they’re agitated and emotional. One day they’re making incredibly wise choices, but the next they’re making disastrous mistakes. Yesterday they earned your trust, but today it seems they’ve lost it once again.

Why such inconsistency? Credit their brains.

A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains is filled with helpful, practical insights from veteran youth worker Mark Oestreicher.

Without an understanding of teenage brain development, we might miss life’s teachable moments or shut down our child’s curiosity with easy answers that don’t satisfy the search for truth happening below the surface.

That’s why Marko has written this book: to guide you through the world of the teenage brain, to help you understand and appreciate the amazing transformations it undergoes in adolescence to prepare children for adulthood and its many responsibilities.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2012

Reviews

[Matt Markarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

a short book about a big subject. This a a quick and simple look at the inner workings of a teenage brain. A helpful read for all parents of teens.

[Shelby Sandborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a parent, but I’m a youth pastor and I thought this book was great. I highly recommend to anyone who works with teens. It’s such a short and easy read, but some major mind blowing things.

[Rachel Blom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in Marko's 'Parent's Guide' series and it's a good one. This short book offers valuable insights for parents on the teenage brain, especially those insights that help explain certain behavior. The book is short on scientific explanations but rich in practical applications, making it suitable for parents without much prior knowledge on this topic. In my opinion, it could have been a bit bigger, thus including some more interesting info on teenage brains but I guess that didn't fit the format of the series.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short - humorous (of course) and good insights into the teenage brain from someone who has teens and has a life time of working with them

Great for youth workers and easy reading for parents.

Another in a series of books that are well done.