Sometimes, they need carefully calibrated danger

How does this clip of a teenager falling off a horse make you feel?

If you are like me, you probably winced, and maybe even felt vicarious pain. My mama-instinct is to protect that kid, to get him up and on safe ground. But here’s the thing: Teenagers need opportunities to get bucked off horses (or the equivalent) if they are to thrive. Here’s why:

Adolescence is a time of enormous physical, mental, and emotional development. Few people realize, though, how out-of-sync the timing of adolescent growth-spurts are, or the huge implications this wacky timing has for what teens need from the adults in their lives.

Continue reading this post here–-on my Greater Good Science Center blog–to learn more about the dramatic changes that happen at the onset of puberty and how we as parents should support our kids.