Can any of you remember Kevin and Perry? It is a sketch from Harry Enfield based on two emerging adolescents. In one of the most memorable episodes Kevin is very excited about the prospect of turning 13. The family gather in the living room and eagerly watch the clock strike midnight on the day of Kevin’s 13 th birthday. Within seconds his parents watch in utter dismay as their child appears to suddenly lose all sense of rational thought, his dress sense changes and he almost immediately starts to criticise his parents for all their short comings. While we all know the emergence of adolescence does not happen overnight (and happens well before 13) the very significant changes that come with adolescence can often catch us completely off guard. Our understanding of adolescence has changed a lot over the past 25 years and we now know that most of the changes in adolescence are driven by a massive reconstruction project in the teenage brain. I have written in detail about these cha