This makes sense

I'm doing a bunch of reading on youth to prepare for the extra 11 teens and pre-teens who will soon become "family". Here are some interesting thoughts:

* guys speak an average of 3000 words a day; girls speak an average of 20000 words each day.
* ADHD affects 4% of the youth population (USA) and about 2-3 times more boys than girls have ADHD
* eating disorders have become the 3rd most common form of chronic illness among adolescent girls aged 15-19
* the three basic questions the journey through adolesence needs to answer are:
1) who am I? (identity)
2) do I and my choices matter? (automony)
3) where do I fit? (belonging)
* the most difficult balancing act of parenting an adolescent is nurturing the child while at the same time trusting the adult
* pre-1900, puberty arrived around age 14 and adulthood around age 16; 1900-1970, puberty arrived around age 13 and adulthood around age 18; today puberty is arriving at age 12 with adulthood not kicking in until the mid 20's ---- all this to say adolesence has gone from 2 years to 5 years to approximately 15 years.