Teens are going through a period of rapid brain development

Defiance on the part of a teen is natural.

The biggest change to the brain involves the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls the emotions.

Teens need no more than 7 hours of sleep to maintain their health.

The teen brain is feverishly reshaping itself by "pruning neural connections at the rate of 30,000 per second."

Teens need to be involved in extracurricular activities.

Teens often have difficulty assessing and responding appropriately to the emotions of others.

Sex hormones are especially active in the limbic system (the brain's emotion center)