All guides: the brain, habits and what to say
Short answers first, then the brain behind them and one thing to try tonight. Educational content only, not medical advice.
Brain chemicals
Each chemical is a character in the crew. They are metaphors for what a body does, never a measurement of your kid.
- Dopamine for kids: what it really does (and what it doesn’t)
- Serotonin for kids: mood, sleep and steady days explained
- Endorphins for kids: why running and laughing feel so good
- Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) for kids: the attention spotlight
- GABA for kids: the brain’s brake, explained
- Oxytocin for kids: closeness, trust and the “I’m safe” feeling
- Cortisol for kids: the stress hormone explained (it’s not the villain)
- What does melatonin do? Your kid’s own night signal, explained
- Ghrelin for kids: the hunger hormone behind hangry meltdowns
- Testosterone in teens: what it does in boys and girlsTeens 13–17
Brain parts
Where the big feelings start, where the brakes live, and the two rules that shape every habit.
Habits
Our villains are always a habit or a thing, never a person, a food or a body.
- Should kids sleep with their phone in the bedroom?
- Do screens before bed lower kids’ melatonin?
- How do I turn off autoplay, and why can’t my kid stop watching?
- Do phone notifications hurt kids’ homework focus?
- Do irregular bedtimes affect kids’ behavior?
- Is caffeine safe for kids? Energy drinks, cola and iced tea
Ages
Six stages, six characters. Ranges overlap and every kid has their own pace.
- What’s normal for a 4 or 5 year old? Brain and behavior at ages 3 to 6
- 7 year old behavior: what’s normal at ages 6 to 8
- 9 year old behavior: what’s normal at ages 8 to 10
- Tween brain development: what’s normal for an 11 year old?
- 13 year old brain: what’s normal at ages 12 to 14?
- Teenage brain development: what’s normal for a 15 or 16 year old?
Why does my kid…
The hard moments every parent knows, decoded by the crew, with one thing to try tonight.
- Why does my child get angry when screen time ends?
- Why does “5 more minutes” turn into an hour with kids and screens?
- Why does my child explode over small things?
- Why does my child melt down after school?
- Why does my child get a second wind at bedtime?
- Why can’t my child fall asleep at night?
- Why are school mornings such a battle with my kid?
- Why does my kid get so angry when hungry?
- Why is my child worse with me than with anyone else?
- Why can’t my child focus on homework?
- Why does my child interrupt and can’t wait their turn?
- Why do my kids fight all the time?
- Why is my kid always jumping and crashing into things?
- Why won’t my child try new foods?
- Why does my child have a stomach ache every morning before school?
- Why do teenagers take more risks with friends?
- Why doesn’t my child listen until I yell?
What to say
Fewer words, more presence. Each script is short enough to remember mid-meltdown.
- What to say when screen time is over (without a meltdown)
- What to say instead of “calm down” (and why it backfires)
- What to say when your child hits you
- What to say instead of “you’re so smart” (praise that builds effort)
- What to say when your child says “I can’t sleep”
- What to say after a meltdown: how to repair and reconnect
- How to talk to your child about puberty: what to say and when
- What to say to yourself after yelling at your kids (parent guilt)
Myths
Ten things parents hear all the time, and what the research actually says.
- Does sugar make kids hyper?
- Do we only use 10 percent of our brain?
- Is my child left-brained or right-brained?
- Are visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners real?
- Is the brain fully developed at 25?
- Does a dopamine detox work for kids?
- Is dopamine the pleasure chemical?
- Is cortisol bad for kids?
- Does testosterone cause aggression in teen boys?Teens 13–17
- Does the AAP still say 1 hour of screen time?
Guides
The long reads: what the guidelines actually say, in plain words.