Construction site in the brain

Where has my child gone? The sweet daughter has become a moody bitch, the dear son celebrates excessive parties with his friends. The massive personality changes that occur during puberty are due to a huge reorganization in the brain. Here you can read how the "construction site in the head" affects the thoughts, emotions and sensory perception of adolescents and how you can accompany your child through puberty.

In babies and in childhood, the brain develops rapidly. Depending on the influences of the environment, connections are formed between the brain hemispheres and between the nerve cells. And that's not the end of the story by a long shot. From the age of about eleven, the optimization process begins: the nervous system in the brain is now being profoundly rebuilt. In the process, the brain aligns its work efficiently: It cuts unused connections of nerve cells and stabilizes those connections that are frequently used. These construction measures cause great chaos in the head - and can lead to you hardly recognizing your own child. Although the remodeling process may seem chaotic, it has an important function: during maturation, the connections between the nerve cells in the brain, the neuronal networks, are formed. They form because of the experiences your child has and what he or she learns.

The frontal brain, which organizes and structures, suffers the longest from the conversion. It is, so to speak, out of order during this time. Therefore, this brain area cannot sufficiently control social behavior during puberty. The consequences: changing moods of the teenager from "sky-high" to "sad to death," lack of control over one's own impulses and sometimes even choleric fits. While the control instance is suspended, the reward system in the brain constantly demands the happiness hormone dopamine. This means that adolescents have a huge need for rewards and recognition. The most important thing for them is confirmation from their peers. There is also an increased appetite for risk-taking - especially among boys. The natural "brake in the head" that protects against dangerous actions such as daring or drug use is not yet functioning.

Many young people not only find it difficult to control their behavior and manage their emotions; they are also often no longer able to organize their work very well. In some cases, they are unable to plan their actions in a targeted manner: they forget to do their homework or do not prepare sensibly for the next class test. Therefore, while the brain is being rebuilt, academic performance can also temporarily plummet.

Only around the age of 20 is the maturation of the brain complete

First of all, you should make yourself aware of what the construction site in your head means for your child. This will help to find understanding for the sometimes hard to bear behavior. Eventually, the chaos in the head will be over and you will see that your patience has paid off: At the end of the process, a young and mature person stands before you.

How to accompany your child well through adolescence:

• Give your child structure and orientation through a regular daily routine and your assistance.
• As much as possible, ensure regular and adequate sleep. The is especially important in this stressful time!
• Don't set the frame too narrowly: give your teenager the opportunity to explore his or her limits and meet challenges.
• Show your child that you stand by him, whatever happens, and that you trust him.
• But also make it clear that your child is responsible for his own actions and must bear the consequences (for example, clean up after an excessive party yourself).
• Share your concerns with your child - for example, with regard to drugs or dare. Thus, you show that you do not care how your daughter or son is doing.