Teen Judgement

How do I get my kid to think before he does something stupid?

“Good teen judgement” isn’t a phrase most people use in their daily lexicon. When adults think of brilliant decision makers, teens don’t usually come to mind. Thankfully, science offers an explanation for this phenomenon.

Between the ages of 11 and 13, the human prefrontal cortex begins developing wildly. This affects the executive functioning of the brain, resulting in the aforementioned marvel known as “teen judgement.” The result is that impulse control, emotional regulation and ability to see cause and effect all become impaired during this time. 

So if you’re wondering why your kid seems so even keeled when they were 6 compared to 13, that’s why! Your child wasn’t experiencing this crazy explosion of growth when they were younger. 

How to respond

That’s part of the explanation. To hear more and get some ideas about how you can respond better as a parent, check out this week’s Tips On Teens:

“Kent, my son is driving us insane. I would say he has poor judgement, but lately it feels like he has no judgement. He’s 13, and I think he was more mature when he was 6. Over the past six months or so he’s developed a pattern of doing increasingly dumber and more destructive things. This has happened at home, but recently it happened at a friend’s house when he broke their pool filter. Obviously we were thoroughly embarrassed and angry. I can’t imagine giving this kid the keys to a car in a few years. What can we do to get him to think before he acts?”