Teens are truly wonderful . There is so much to enjoy about this stage of parenting . Let ’ s be honest , though . It ’ s tough sometimes . Like , super tough . Their moods are a roller coaster , the dangers are bigger , and the consequences are potentially life-altering . They push boundaries . They pull away . They do weird things with their hair .
It ’ s a turbulent stage filled with lots of angst , a fair amount of door slams , and more eyerolls than there are stars in the sky . Many parents don ’ t understand their teen ’ s behavior . Why , when you ’ re sure they know better , do they act on impulse or make poor decisions ? Why do they have such big emotions over such simple things ? It ’ d all be easier if we could just understand what is going on inside their heads , wouldn ’ t it ? It turns out , what ’ s going on in there is a brain under heavy construction . Our teens sure look grown , especially when we have to stand on tiptoes to kiss their cheeks , but behind those rolling eyes is an underdeveloped brain that runs more on emotion than logic .
According to Stanford Children ’ s Health , adults process information in the prefrontal cortex , which is the part of the brain that responds with good judgement and awareness of long-term consequences . That region of the brain doesn ’ t fully develop until around age 25 , however , so teens process information with the amygdala . This is the emotional center , and it ’ s responsible for impulsivity and immediate reactions , including fear and aggressive behavior .
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