Tag Archives: Dabble & Dollop

Jonathon Reed: To Connect with Boys, Listen



Powered by RedCircle To connect with boys, you must first listen, says Jonathon Reed, program manager for NextGenMen. Societal expectations of boys & men are gradually shifting. These shifting narratives are part of why it’s so important for adults to listen to boys. Adults’ interpretation and understanding of situations and interactions doesn’t necessarily reflect boys’ complex … Continue reading Jonathon Reed: To Connect with Boys, Listen


Dr. Lisa Damour: Connecting with Teens



Powered by RedCircle Dr. Lisa Damour says that adults should consider the barriers boys face when it comes to emotional connection and expression.  “Gender is such a huge force in how emotion is expressed, and perhaps even in how emotion is experienced,” says Dr. Damour. “If a boy doesn’t feel that he has permission to … Continue reading Dr. Lisa Damour: Connecting with Teens


Brendan Kwiatkowski: Connecting w Teen Boys



Powered by RedCircle Brendan Kwiatkowski knows that connecting with teenage boys requires understanding, patience, and a willingness to create a safe emotional space. Kwiatkowski, PhD, a renowned researcher specializing in boys’ emotions, experiences, and masculinities, says that teen boys “assume most people don’t want to hear about their negative emotions.” Helping Boys Express Their Emotions … Continue reading Brendan Kwiatkowski: Connecting w Teen Boys


Teacher Tom on Connections & Play-Based Learning



Powered by RedCircle Teacher Tom says “kids haven’t changed at all” over recent decades. “Kids still need freedom to play, to follow their own curiosity,to ask and answer questions,and to learn how to get along with other people,” he says. Nurturing Kids & Building Connections The first five years of a child’s life “should be … Continue reading Teacher Tom on Connections & Play-Based Learning


Women are America’s Safety Net & That’s a Problem for Boys



Powered by RedCircle Women are America’s safety net.  Women provide the vast majority of child and elder care and care for the disabled. Women do the bulk of home- and community-tending, and they create and reinforce the ties that bind us together. Most of that labor is unpaid — and the little that is paid … Continue reading Women are America’s Safety Net & That’s a Problem for Boys


Adam Price: “He’s Not Lazy”



Powered by RedCircle Dr. Adam Price’s book, He’s Not Lazy, is one that parents of teenage boys frequently recommend to each other. There’s good reason for that: He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself addresses parents’ fears and concerns about their “unmotivated,” “under-performing” teenage sons. Stop Worrying About Your Boys Fear is … Continue reading Adam Price: “He’s Not Lazy”


BoyMom Ruth Whippman on Reimagining Boyhood



Powered by RedCircle BoyMom Ruth Whippman has spent significant time reimagining boyhood. As a mom of 3 boys, she knows that raising boys today is a complex endeavor. As she writes in her book, BOYMOM: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, “Boys in America (and worldwide) are going through something of a crisis … Continue reading BoyMom Ruth Whippman on Reimagining Boyhood


Connecting With Boys & Answering Your Questions



Powered by RedCircle In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss: The end of an era (Jen’s last son finishes high school!) What Jen will NOT miss about having a kid a school How parenting is like labor & birth Transactional vs. relational communication Letting boys take control of aspects of their life Rebuilding trust Apologizing … Continue reading Connecting With Boys & Answering Your Questions


Opioids & Narcan: What You Need to Know



Powered by RedCircle If you think you don’t know anybody who takes opioids, have you asked? Those are the word of Julia Pinksy, an Oregon-based mom who lost her son to an opioid overdose. “It’s been 10 years since he passed,” she says,”which seems unbeleivable.” In the years since, Julia has devoted herself to opioid … Continue reading Opioids & Narcan: What You Need to Know


Marc Hauser on Building Resilience



Powered by RedCircle Building boys’ resilience can help them thrive, says Marc Hauser.  Even if they’ve experienced a lot of adversity. “Adversity experienced by children is not a rare event, but a relatively common event,” says Marc, author of Vulnerable Minds: The Harms of Childhood Trauma & the Hope of Resilience. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may … Continue reading Marc Hauser on Building Resilience