Tag Archives: essential labs

Dr. Friendtastic on Boys & Friendship



Powered by RedCircle Boys are twice as likely as girls to be friendless in middle school. And by adulthood, 1 in 5 men say they don’t have any close friends. Friendship matters for guys too – but clearly, boys face some unique challenges. “Boys & men have special challenges because of the image of how … Continue reading Dr. Friendtastic on Boys & Friendship


Parenting Beyond Power with Jen Lumanlan



Powered by RedCircle Jen Lumanlan, author of Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection & Collaboration to Transform Your Family, believes there’s a direct link between parenting and social justice. “The way that we raise our children — the daily interactions that we have with them that seem like they’re about discipline — actually support … Continue reading Parenting Beyond Power with Jen Lumanlan


Devorah Heitner on Growing Up in Public



Powered by RedCircle Our boys are growing up in public. Between social media, online monitoring, and geo-tracking, our kids’ lives are public in a way ours never were when we were young. Helping kids manage this digital landscape can be a challenge for parents and adults who often worry and frequently ignore the upsides of … Continue reading Devorah Heitner on Growing Up in Public


Calm the Chaos: Parenting Challenging Kids



Powered by RedCircle How do you calm the chaos in your household? Big emotions, power struggles, and challenging behaviors can create (& feed!) chaos, affecting the entire family. And it’s next to impossible for anyone to operate at their best in a constant state of chaos. “I felt like an absolute failure for the first … Continue reading Calm the Chaos: Parenting Challenging Kids


Lisa Damour on The Emotional Lives of Teens



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


Body Image, Eating Disorders, & Boys



Powered by RedCircle Body image concerns and eating disorders affect boys too.  As many as 75% of adolescent boys are dissatisfied with their bodies. 3% are now using steroids in an attempt to alter their bodies, 7% use supplements, and a 2019 study found that 1 in 5 guys aged 18-24 had an eating disorder … Continue reading Body Image, Eating Disorders, & Boys


How to Be an Unflustered Mom



Powered by RedCircle Yes, you can be an unflustered mom. Identifying your anxiety style is the first step, says Amber Trueblood, a mom of four boys (currently ages 10, 12, 14, & 15) and author of The Unflustered Mom: How Understanding the Five Anxiety Styles Transforms the Way We Parent, Partner, Live, and Love. “Anxiety … Continue reading How to Be an Unflustered Mom


Managing Medical Expenses



Powered by RedCircle Medical expenses are a part of life.  (Particularly if you live in the United States!) Figuring out how to budget and pay for well-child checks, sports physicals, ER and urgent care visits, and recommended screenings is confusing and overwhelming. Health insurance is expensive and difficult to decipher. Independent contractors and entrepreneurs typically … Continue reading Managing Medical Expenses