My son is very obedient. But he just can’t focus.

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My son is very obedient. But he just can’t focus.

The mom of a teen complained during my teen parenting workshop the other day.

Does this surprise you?

Would you expect an obedient child to be able to focus?

I wouldn’t.

It is not surprising at all that this obedient child is not able to focus.

Listening to others – is obedience.

Listening to yourself – is focus.

A child who is used to listening to others all the time – will find it difficult to listen to himself.

That is why he cannot focus.

It is a mistake to insist on obedience.

When we insist on obedience, we push our children away from focus and into distractions.

We need to stop telling children ‘What to do’ and start teaching them ‘How to think.’

And to do that we need to understand the way the brain works.

I am conducting a workshop for the parents of teens and preteens today – called “Effective Parenting for Teens and Preteens” where I will talk about how the teen brain works.

Do let me know if you would like to register.
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