EDGE Nebraska City’s first EDGE Event of the 2019-20 School Year is Understanding the Teenage Brain.  For parents of teenagers the years can be rewarding, hard, joy filled and sleepless.  We think there is real value in coming together with other parents that are in the same season of life and may be experiencing some of the same joys and challenges.  This EDGE Event is open to any parent of teen (or pre teen) that wants to better understand teenagers. To register for the October 22, 6:00 pm event click here. 

Teenage brains are literally under construction during their adolescent years.  It is roughly 80% developed and that extra 20% won’t fully develop until about age 25.  The prefrontal cortex is the last to develop, the area of the brain that is often referred to as the CEO.  This is where risk assessment takes place, rationalization skills are fine tuned and emotions are better understood.  So no wonder your teen seems impulsive, dramatic and unreasonable. They have yet to fully develop that part of their brain.  So instead of getting annoyed and thinking it’s teenage hormones, maybe remind yourself that many of the behaviors you are seeing is due to normal teen brain growth.

We know that all chapters of life are easier to navigate if you have someone to walk alongside you.  Community and fellow parents of teens are a key part of the journey. Consider attending our EDGE Event:  Understanding the Teenage Brain to meet other parents and learn that having a normal teen that says “I don’t know” more often than you can count is actually very normal.

Come at 6:00 and enjoy a meal, and then gather resources, have questions answered and learn from a mental health provider on how to survive the teenage years.