Where Did My Child Go? - The Grand Metamorphosis SCHOOLS

I’ve had the privilege of working with many adolescents over many years, from 12 years old towards graduation from school and young adulthood. I believe the transition years, most particularly from 12 to 16 years old are greatly misunderstood in our contemporary world. “Preteens" and “Teenagers” are often represented really negatively in our culture, and I have met many parents who are somewhat fearful of their own son or daughter at this age. So what is going on? Why did my apparently kind thoughtful fun loving child become a sullen cynical unpredictable adolescent? What and who is to blame?!  How do I create a healthy loving parent-child relationship?

So much changes for us in these few years, so much that I believe it is one of the 3 most significant developmental leaps we navigate in our lives (birth being the first, class one the second). In this talk I hope to offer insights into what has been called the “Grand Metamorphosis” - the crucial transition years between childhood and young adult. My hope is that by better understanding what is going on developmentally (physiologically and psychologically) we are able to reconnect anew as teachers and parents, to form a relationship of trust and honesty that is essential in keeping them safe, healthy and to support their emerging sense of self.