Kids and teenagers experience time quite differently from adults. They're usually living in the 'now,' and not concerned with time as we are.

As they grow and their brains develop, particularly the frontal lobe responsible for motivation, attention, and perspective, they gradually learn to navigate time and responsibilities.

Remember, children aren't miniature adults. Initially, we regulate everything for them, then we co-regulate as they grow, and eventually, we guide from the sidelines as they learn self-regulation. It's vital to recognize that we act as their substitute frontal lobe until theirs fully matures.

Understanding this helps explain why they might not always follow instructions after hearing them once. We play a crucial role in helping them develop these executive functions until they can manage them independently.

Meet Jennifer Kolari

Jennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in th US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.

Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.

Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.

Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).