What makes teens tick is theme for Niagara-on-the-Lake series
It’s a concept that is universal to parents of teens and preteens. They do something you don’t approve of, and you ask, “What were they thinking?”
Well, Dr. Ron Clavier knows a lot about what makes teens tick — he’s even written a book about it.
A renowned neuroscientist, psychologist and educator, Clavier is the author of “Teen Brain, Teen Mind: What Parents Need to Know to Survive The Adolescent Years.” After a lengthy career, which took him to Montreal, Chicago, British Columbia and Toronto, Clavier retired to Niagara-on-theLake in 2012.
But not being one to settle down, Clavier offered his services to act as a mentor for the Lord Mayor’s youth advisory council in its mission to, among other goals, promote mental fitness.
“We have a wealth of retired people here, and not all are drinking wine and playing golf,” Clavier said.
He has offered to help the group and will be offering his “Raising Healthy Teens” lecture series, something he estimates he has done more than 50 times in his 35-year career. “It’s for anyone who has or works with kids,” Clavier said, adding that proceeds from course registration ($50 per individual or $75 for families) will be turned over to the council.
“That’s what I would like to do here,” Clavier said. “To give all the proceeds the youth advisory council and start teaching them about fiduciaries and financials and using a budget to fund their programs.”
Sessions begin Nov. 10 at the Niagara-onthe-Lake Community Centre and will be held each Saturday until Dec. 8. The topic for the inaugural session is “Teen Brain, Teen Mind,” which will focus on the development of abstract cognition and the establishment of the adolescent belief system. It will also look at the struggle for independence and ways to encourage teenagers to accept responsibility for the consequences of their behaviour.
Nov. 17: Rules. Things such as parental responsibility in setting boundaries and limits will be discussed. It will also focus on the development of social competence, empathy, declining parental authority, social media and screen time, and how to begin the conversation about career choices.
Nov. 24: Relationships. Discussions will include the importance of friendship and peer influence; bullying will be examined. Further discussion will include the emergence of emotional relationships and the role of parents in modelling attitudes about happiness, success and commitment.
Dec. 1: Common psychological concerns. Parents often express concern about teenage anxiety, depression and diminished motivation. The causes and parameters of normalcy of these issues will be discussed to guide parents in their responses to these concerns.
Dec. 8: Alcohol and other Drugs. Parents worry about the consequences of their teens’ use of alcohol and other drugs, both legal and illegal. This session will offer information and strategies for responding to these difficult situations.
All sessions run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. For tickets, email Debbie at dkrause@notlpl.org.