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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
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Your son is not the only one struggling. According to Dr. Warren Farrell — and a slew of research — boys in 63 of the largest developed nations are faring worse than girls. They’re doing worse academically. They’re falling behind in the workplace. And their physical and mental health is failing as well. In his … Continue reading 115: The Boy Crisis with Warren Farrell
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‘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
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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)
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When we put out a call for listener questions, you sent us some doozies! In this, our first-ever Listener Q & A (Part 1), we tackle three of your questions: “I just finished listening to the podcast episode with Amy Lang. I know she says we should begin talking to boys about bodies at 5 … Continue reading 112: Potty Talk, Vaping & School (Listener Q&A, Part 1)
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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
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Amy Lang is a sex educator — and the mom of a teenage boy who is utterly mortified by his mom’s career. If anyone understands just how awkward talking about sex with your son can be — and how important it is to push through despite your the discomfort — it’s Amy. Amy is … Continue reading 110: Talk to Boys about Sex with Amy Lang
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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
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Why do boys spend so many hours playing videogames? And how worried should we be about the hours they spend gaming? To get some answers, we turned to a true expert: Greg Wondra, a former boy & current parent who also happens to be video game designer who worked on the MLB 2K series, Wizard 101, Lost … Continue reading 108: Video games and Boys (with special guest Greg Wondra)
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Can your video game-loving boy turn his passion into a career? Perhaps, says our special guest, Greg Wondra. Greg is a veteran game designer who worked on the MLB 2K series, Wizard 101, Lost Planet 3, and Monkeyquest, and currently teaches video game design to high school students at Kern County Regional Occupational Center in California. … Continue reading 107: Video Game Design – A Career for Boys