Powered by RedCircle Linda Flanagan says youth sports are out of control. And she should know. Flanagan is a former youth athlete, cross country coach, mother of a young athletes, and the author of Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids’ Sports – and Why It Matters. “If your goal is … Continue reading Linda Flanagan: Youth Sports are Out of Control
Powered by RedCircle Want to know how to motivate boys? Toss out your outdated beliefs about boys and men, says Maggie Dent, Australia’s “boy champion” and author of From Boys to Men: Guiding Our Teen Boys to Grow Into Healthy, Happy Men. “Our boys aren’t these tough, unfeeling humans,” she says. “They’ve got incredibly tender … Continue reading Maggie Dent on How to Motivate Boys
Powered by RedCircle Andrew Reiner says it’s essential to spend time nurturing boys’ mental health & resiliency. As a college professor, Reiner sees what happens when boys aren’t taught resiliency and don’t develop the skills they need to support mental wellness. “I started noticing a chasm between the effort that my male students was putting … Continue reading Andrew Reiner: Building Boys’ Mental Health & Resiliency
Powered by RedCircle Fostering gratitude in our boys can help them navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life. And despite what you may think, it is possible to foster an attitude of gratitude in apparently self-centered boys. Science has shown a strong link between kids’ developmental stages and gratitude. As children grow, they gradually … Continue reading Fostering Gratitude in Boys
Powered by RedCircle Dads matter. Men matter. To become their best, boys need involved dads and male teachers, coaches, & mentors. But when Marion Hill began working in early childhood education in Phoenix, he “noticed there weren’t a lot of fathers around,” he says. Recognizing dads’ importance to kids’ social, emotional, and cognitive development, … Continue reading Dads Matter (w Marion Hill)
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Parenting teenage boys is a challenge. And an opportunity. In some ways, says child and adolescent psychologist Lee Bare, parenting a teenage boy is like parenting a newborn. “You have to be prepared for anything and you never know what kind of mood they’re going to wake up in,” says Lee, who is also the … Continue reading Parenting Teenage Boys with Lee Bare
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Reading and literacy are important life skills. But many boys struggle with reading and writing — and resist parents’ and teachers’ well-intended efforts to help them. Lots of boys are reluctant readers. Many hate writing. Teaching boys to read Middle school literacy instructional coach Todd Feltman says, “reading has to be taught in increments,” especially … Continue reading Building Boys’ Reading and Literacy Skills
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What does Janet’s 8-month-old grandson have in common with a bunch of guys throwing darts at each other in a dark basement? A fascination with objects moving through space — a nearly universal male tendency that Janet is witnessing in real-time as her grandson delights in pushing, pulling, and moving objects that are bigger than … Continue reading Coffee with Jen & Janet
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Why do boys….? Bringing up boys brings up all kinds of questions! Jen & Janet have answers. Tamara asks: Why do boys communicate through physical touch/aggression and use sarcasm for communication rather than regular conversation? Katrina worries that her son may be alienating himself from his friends — and missing out on social opportunities — … Continue reading Listener Q & A: Boy Communication, Socialization, & Girl Power
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We want to build boys — AND a just world. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable challenges, and tempting to not take action on big societal issues like inequity because, well, what can we do anyway? But while it’s true that none of us can individually create the systemic changes that are needed … Continue reading Parenting, Privilege, & Building a Just World