by Kristen A. Jenson, MA

From the time we potty train a toddler to the day she leaves the nest, a big part of growing up is learning to gain control and independence. We teach our kids to master their emotions so the melt-downs at the grocery store eventually end! As they mature, they hopefully learn to think before they act as they become less impulsive and more deliberate. All of this involves exercising what I call the “thinking brain.”

Thinking Brain versus Feeling Brain

I first coined the term “thinking brain” while writing Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids. It was a simple way to help children understand how addictions develop—it’s when the impulsive, instinctive and automatic “feeling brain” takes over and hijacks the part of the brain that learns right from wrong, makes plans and puts the brakes on our appetites and desires. To avoid addiction…