Ep 264: Ep 103: How Risk-Taking is Hardwired in Teens (Full Episode Re-release)

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, authors of the book Wildhood, explain the four needs of every adolescent as they transition to healthy adults. Plus, the surprising biology behind teen risk-taking behavior, particularly in groups!Exercise: Create a "Status Sanctuary"As Barbara and Kathryn discuss, the teen brain is primed to climb the status ladder.  Teens are usually at the bottom of hierarchies with more experienced adults at the top making rules. Because of this, adolescents are constantly stressed about status. If your teen has ever acted like losing a friend or getting in a fight with a friend is “life or death,” according to Barbara and Kathryn, for teen’s brains,  it truly feels that way.To help relieve the constant underlying anxiety due to status climbing, Kathryn and Barbara suggest creating a “status sanctuary” where teens can be free from constant comparison. It doesn’t have to be a spa-like experience, but it should ideally be done alone and sans technology. For your teen a status sanctuary might be something active, like going for a run or a hike. Or maybe they enjoy doing art, crafting, or baking. Encourage your teen to take a “status sanctuary” and offer to give them a room/space completely to themselves for one hour if needed. Remember, no looking at social media or scrolling through old text messages as both are social-status centered activities.