What were you thinking!?' If you've ever asked this in despair while watching a toddler melt down, a tween push boundaries or a teenager make a truly terrible decision, this book is for you. In What Were You Thinking!? renowned neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis unpacks how the human brain develops - from newborn to adult - and why different behavioural stages make sense once you understand what's happening upstairs. Written in plain English with warmth, humour and lots of lightbulb moments, this book distils complex neuroscience into practical insights any parent, teacher or caregiver will find invaluable. You'll discover how the four key parts of the brain develop at different stages, why the teenage brain is effectively 'shut for renovations' for several years, and what this means for discipline, learning, emotions and decision-making. Along the way, Wallis explores brain plasticity, how to strengthen it and even how damaged brains can heal - offering hope not just for children, but for adults too. Drawing on decades of experience as a father, foster parent, child counsellor, lecturer and sought-after international speaker, Wallis brings science to life in a way that's engaging, entertaining and genuinely life-changing.

• Format: Paperback / softback
• Publication Date: 30/06/2026
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand
• Country of Origin: New Zealand
• Pages: 304