Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:28 — 37.2MB)
How comfortable are you with risk? Do you respond with fear or encouragement when your son wants to try something new? How about when you find him climbing atop your tree house? Or doing flips off a public staircase? Adults’ desire to keep boys safe often interferes with boys’ ability to take chances and try … Continue reading 116: Why Risk Is Important for Boys
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:41 — 32.9MB)
‘Tis the season for sleepaway camp and summer sleepovers! For some parents and kids, though, the prospect of a night away from home is scary. There are so many ‘what-if’s’ that could happen: what if they’re cold? what if they get homesick? what if…what if…what if… But what if you let your kid go anyway? What if … Continue reading 114: Sleepovers, Camp, and Separation Anxiety
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:18 — 27.9MB)
Welcome to Part 2 of our first Listener Q & A! This week, Jen & Janet tackle 3 more questions: “What strategies do you use to deal with a sudden increase in lying in pre-teen boys?” “What’s the best way to allow young boys to be adventurous/risky physically while maintaining a clear, safe boundary and … Continue reading 113: Lying, Risk, & How to Advocate for Boys (Listener Q&A, Part 2)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:02 — 36.7MB)
According to the Oxford Living Dictionaries, self-esteem is “confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.” That’s something we want for our kids. We’re not talking about participation trophies simply for showing up; we’re talking about a true sense of pride that comes for knowledge of your capabilities. Nurturing that kind of self-confidence is a … Continue reading 111: Self-Esteem and Boys
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:27 — 32.6MB)
Is Gun Play Really Okay? A generation ago, gun play was an acceptable part of childhood. Parents gave their kids toy guns as gifts — yes, even Red Ryder BB guns! (and yes, that’s A Christmas Story reference) — and boys regularly played Cops and Robbers and War both at school and in the neighborhood. Today, … Continue reading 109: Gun Play and Boys
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:13 — 27.8MB)
“By age 9, the default emotion for most boys is anger.” — Michael Gurian It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of a boy’s anger, whether you’ve got a toddler throwing a temper tantrum or a teenager on a rampage. But learning to respond to boys’ anger with love and patience is … Continue reading 104: Anger and Boys