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MINDFUL MAGAZINE

3 Common Myths About the Teen Brain

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Dan Siegel, bestselling author of Brainstorm, on the subject.

Illustration by Mariko Jesse

By Stephany Tlalka

(http://www.mindful.org/stephany)

Dan Siegel, award-winning educator, child psychiatrist, and author of New York
Times bestseller Brainstorm, explores the power and purpose of the teenage brain in
Mindfuls June issue. Siegel talks about the brain science behind teen angst and how
to turn parents concerns into understanding and confrontation into connection.
Siegel warns that some of the popular misconceptions we have about the teen brain
are making life more difficult for adolescents and adults alike. He shares how
science is refuting three long-held myths we mistakenly believe about what makes
teens tick:
Myth No. 1: Raging Hormones Make You Crazy
Yes, hormones do increase during this period, but they dont determine the ins and
outs of adolescencethats for another piece of anatomy. We now know that what
adolescents experience is primarily the result of changes in the development of the
brain, Siegel writes:
Knowing were dealing with developmental and neurological changesand
not a kid hopped up on hormonesundercuts one of the most powerful
myths we hold about the teen years.
Myth No. 2: You Just Need to Grow Up
That old phrase, Its just a phase, is not helping. It stems from this idea we have
about teenage-hood being a time of mindless upheaval that has to be endured by
parents and teens alike. On the contrary, argues Siegel, this upheaval is fruitful and
even foundational. Even seemingly senseless behaviors have purposebeyond
confounding parents. Siegel writes:

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3 Common Myths About the Teen Brain | Mindful

http://www.mindful.org/mindful-magazine/3-common-myths...

In very key ways, the work of adolescencethe testing of boundaries, the

passion to explore what is unknown and excitingcan lay the stage for the
development of core character traits that will enable adolescents to go on to
lead great lives of adventure and purpose.
Adolescence is turbulentbut teens arent just being crazy or immature. Not
just a phase that needs to be grown out of, adolescence is actually a period of
growth characterized by emotional intensity, social engagement, and creativity. So
its not about surviving teenage-hood, but understanding and learning from these
new desires and drives in ways that enable teens to thrive.
Myth No. 3: Strive for Total Independence
The image of your kid stuffing that final duffle bag into an over-packed station
wagon has been cemented in our collective memories, thanks to Hollywood. Beyond
fantasy, it is true that teens are pushing for independence during these years and
spending more time with friends. But leaving home is not the final frontier for teens
to start their passage into adulthoodand Siegel says everyone around the table
should aim for interdependence: The healthy move to adulthood is toward
interdependence, not complete do-it-yourself isolation.
In other words, adolescents still benefit from being around adults, even if they are
predisposed to nurturing friend bonds more during this period. Siegel writes:
Ultimately, we learn to move from needing others care during childhood, to
pushing away from our parents and other adults and learning to lean more
on our peers during adolescence, to then learning to both give care and
receive help from others. Thats interdependence.
For more than just this Glimpse:
See the full table of contents (http://www.mindful.org/mindful-magazine/june-2014-issue)
for Mindful's June 2014 issue.
Order a subscription in print edition (https://subscribe.pcspublink.com
/sub/subscribe.aspx?guid=ed43f1fc-9f67-41e5-8532-6edbd0ffc4d7) or digital edition
(https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/sub/subscribe.aspx?guid=6f4c45e9-6373-450e96b7-987422b15bac) .

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