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Dr. Cara Natterson’s book, Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons, came out in February 2020 & made a big splash. Kirkus Reviews calls it, “A common-sensical, gently humorous exploration of male puberty’s many trials” and a New York Times article declared, “…for rational, evidence-based advice on how to talk to your son about every internal and external force he’ll experience from fourth grade through college, Cara Natterson’s zippy, bighearted ‘Decoding Boys’ is the guide you need.'”
Our ON BOYS listeners clearly agree: Decoding Boys with Dr. Cara Natterson is our most-downloaded episode of 2020. Some gems:
Not talking to your son about his evolving physical, emotional and social self is the biggest parent trap of them all.
and
Boys will take good information and run with it. If we just tell them no and don’t give them the why, they don’t listen.
This conversation was originally recorded in April 2020.
In this episode, Jen, Janet & Cara discuss:
- Why it’s OK to let your teen boys sleep late
- What the coronavirus crisis and shutdowns are teaching us about kids’ physical and emotional needs
- The difference between making kids do something vs. educating them
- Why boys go quiet around puberty
- Getting boys to talk
- Late-blooming boys
- Brain development during adolescence (a.k.a, why boys can be so smart and so dumb, at the same time!)
- Why boys take more risks when surrounded by friends
- Boys, body image & eating disorders
- How to tell if your son’s fixation on fitness is healthy or harmful
Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:
Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons — Cara’s book
worryproofmd.com — Dr. Natterson’s online home; includes a link to her newsletter
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys — one of Cara’s puberty book for boys
STAY CONNECTED WITH JANET & JEN:
Join the Building Boys FB group and the Boys Alive! FB group
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