Powered by RedCircle Stop, drop, grow, and glow? That’s Holly Swenson’s advice to parents. Swenson, a RN-turned-writer and mom of 4 boys (currently ages 10, 13, 15, & 15) was approximately seven years into parenting when she realized that “when you are taking care of yourself, you’re better able to take care of everyone in … Continue reading Stop, Drop, Grow, and Glow with Holly Swenson
Powered by RedCircle Modern male puberty starts earlier than you think. It may start as early as age 9 in boys – which means that the mood swings you’re seeing in your 10-year-old son could well be puberty-related. After all, as Cara Natterson & Vanessa Kroll Bennett write in their book This is So Awkward: … Continue reading Modern Male Puberty is Awkward
Powered by RedCircle Dr. Lisa Damour is our go-to expert regarding the emotional lives of teens. She is a psychologist & author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents, and although her previous two books were a deep dive into the world of girls, she gets boys. Consider this sentence: … Continue reading Lisa Damour on The Emotional Lives of Teens
Powered by RedCircle Middle school students are “superheroes in the making,” says Phyllis Fagell, a school counselor, mom, and author of Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times. If that sounds crazy to you, consider this: middle schoolers and superheroes “both get catapulted out of a world they know and sent on a … Continue reading Phyllis Fagell Discusses Middle School Superpowers
Powered by RedCircle Now is the best time to raise boys, says psychologist Michael Reichert, founding director of the Center for the Study of Boys’ & Girls’ Lives, author of How to Raise a Boy, and co-author of Equimundo’s recent State of American Men report. It doesn’t feel that way to many parents (or boys), … Continue reading Why Now is the Best Time to Raise Boys (w Michael Reichert)
Powered by RedCircle Fostering Connection: Building Social and Emotional Health in Children and Teens is the latest book by Dr. Tish Taylor, a child psychologist with more than 25 years of experience. Fostering connection is also key to boys’ social, emotional, and overall well-being. But how do we teach our boys to connect? How can … Continue reading Fostering Connection to Build Social & Emotional Health
Powered by RedCircle Kids “haven’t changed at all” during the 20+ years Teacher Tom has been working with young children, he says. Parents have, though. And so has society. There’s an increased concern for safety and academic performance, and a lot of anxiety about kids’ futures. “I think there’s more fear, and more fear of … Continue reading More Wisdom from Teacher Tom
Powered by RedCircle Teen boys mystify (and frustrate) their parents. Especially their moms. But there’s a lot going on behind and beneath that sometimes stony exterior. Teen boys are not devoid of emotions; in fact, they devote a lot of time and attention to managing and controlling their emotions. They may not show their emotions … Continue reading Teen Boys’ Emotional Lives
Powered by RedCircle How do you support sibling relationships and build brother-sister bonds? Or connect with a tween son? Those are just a few of the questions Jen & Janet tackle in 2023’s first listener Q & A. Matthew says: We have 3 boys (15, 17, & 19) and 3 girls (2, 9, & 13)…our … Continue reading Listener Q & A: Supporting Sibling Relationships, Finding Common Ground & More
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Holding the calm, says Hesha Abrams, is an essential skill for resolving conflict and diffusing tension. Conflict and tension trigger an individual’s amygdala, the “reptilian” part of the brain that initiates the flight-flight-or-freeze response. And when the amygdala is activated, the human body goes into a refractory state for about 20 minutes. Our eyes and … Continue reading Holding the Calm with Hesha Abrams