Imagine seeing teenagers not as a bundle of challenges but as a wellspring of untapped potential. That's exactly what our guest Ellen Galinsky, President of Families and Work Institute, invites you to do in this episode, through her book 'The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens ' which challenges the negative cultural narratives about teenagers by presenting a new scientific framework that underscores teens' strengths and capabilities. 

Guiding us in understanding adolescent brain development, Ellen talks about the advantages of positive risk-taking, the role of executive function skills and offers a fresh perspective on adopting an approach to problem-solving that promotes autonomy. You’ll also hear how to navigate the turbulent waters of social media. Curious about how you can make the most of your teen’s toughest years? Tune in to learn some game-changing wisdom that could totally shift your perspective—and theirs!

Ellen Galinsky is President of Families and Work Institute. She’s conducted research on child-care, parent-professional relationship, parental development, work-family issues and youth voice. She also serves as senior science advisor to AASA, the School Superintendent Organization and as senior advisor to the Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary of Youth Mental Health at the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ellen is the author of the best-selling Mind in the Making, more than 100 books/reports and 300 articles. 

Other highlights include serving as a parent expert in the Mister Rogers Talks to Parents TV series; as child care expert on Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s TV series What Every Baby Knows; being the elected President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and being elected to the National Academy of Human Resources. In 2018, the Work and Family Researchers Network established the ongoing Ellen Galinsky Generative Researcher Award. She holds a Master of Science degree in child development and education from Bank Street College of Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in child study from Vassar College. 

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