Category Archives: Parenting

138 Holiday Gifts & Guilt



(Talk with Janet & Jen LIVE on ‘OPEN MIC’ – click here for date & ticket information.) ‘Tis the season for gift-giving, overspending & guilt. In today’s consumer culture, there’s intense pressure to show love and care for your family via material things. We give you permission to recognize that pressure and set it aside, … Continue reading 138 Holiday Gifts & Guilt


137: iGen



  Baby Boomers. Gen X. Millennials. And now, iGen. According to psychology professor Jean Twenge, the members of iGen include the children and young adults born between 1995 and 2012. And what sets these kids apart from previous generations, she says, is their near-constant connection to the Internet. Theirs is a generation shaped by the … Continue reading 137: iGen


136: Thankful for Boys!



  We talk a lot about what’s hard about parenting. About all of the important things you need to and should do with your boys. This Thanksgiving, we talk about why we’re thankful for boys.  Let us count the ways: They expand our worldview and experience. The boys in our lives introduce us to hobbies, interests and … Continue reading 136: Thankful for Boys!


135: Tween Boys



Some call the tween years a “second toddlerhood.” Like toddlers, tweens are striving for independence and determined to do things on their own. Except when they’d rather not. Some days, they want nothing more than to be little kids again, cuddled in your lap. The mood swings of tween boys catch many parents off guard, … Continue reading 135: Tween Boys


134: Rites of Passage



  Traditional societies had many (often elaborate) rites of passage for boys and girls. On the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, boys become men after diving off rickety 40 foot platforms — toward the ground. (You may have seen or heard about this tradition on National Geographic.) In the Sioux culture, young boys were raised … Continue reading 134: Rites of Passage


133: Re-Run – The Good News About Bad Behavior



Enjoy this episode from our archives – it’s too good to miss! AND if you’re intrigued by what you hear, consider joining co-host Janet Allison for her upcoming online class: “5 Steps to Untangle Your Parenting.”  All the deets are here:  http://boysalive.com/untangle   If your kids always do what they’re told, consistently treat others with … Continue reading 133: Re-Run – The Good News About Bad Behavior


123: The Good News About Bad Behavior with Katherine Reynolds Lewis



  If your kids always do what they’re told, consistently treat others with kindness and never over-react to unintended slights, you can skip this episode. If not — WELCOME! Your child is 100% normal, and you’re going to love this conversation with Jen, Janet and Katherine Reynolds Lewis, author of The Good News About Bad … Continue reading 123: The Good News About Bad Behavior with Katherine Reynolds Lewis


122: Co-Parenting with Brandie Weikle



The word co-parenting is typically associated with divorce, but maybe it’s time to change that association. After all, the term refers to shared responsibility for parenting. In the world of divorce, it means that both parents share responsibility for big decisions (like healthcare and education), and both parents share the mundane, day-to-day responsibilities of parenting, … Continue reading 122: Co-Parenting with Brandie Weikle


121: Sibling Stress: How to Handle Bickering, Fighting & More



If you have more than one child, you have sibling stress. Bickering! Fighting! Maybe even bullying. Seeing — and hearing — our children torment each other is major source of stress and family conflict. We wonder, Have I failed? Are my children doomed to become jerks? Will they EVER get along? Should I intervene? Or … Continue reading 121: Sibling Stress: How to Handle Bickering, Fighting & More


119 Consent with Mike Domitrz



Kids want the skill set to empower them to make the right choices. — Mike Domitrz, founder of The Date Safe Project & father of 4 boys Talking to boys about consent is a must. It’s also incredibly challenging and a bit intimidating. Let’s face it: if adults were consistently good at consent, there wouldn’t … Continue reading 119 Consent with Mike Domitrz