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
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
Powered by RedCircle What do college students think about masculinity? About fatherhood? About the trauma & violence faced by men in society? Kevin Roy, a family science professor at the University of Maryland (& father of 3 sons), encourages his students to discuss these topics (& more) in his popular class, “Man Up.” “Young women come … Continue reading Masculinity, Fatherhood, & Man Up
Powered by RedCircle Gemma Gaudette says “we don’t give boys enough credit.” Gemma, host of Idaho Matters & a mom of two sons (currently ages 11 & 15), knows (from personal experience!) that boys can be dramatic & sensitive, even though society has coded those traits as “feminine.” Yet many adults continue to insist on … Continue reading Gemma Gaudette Talks About Raising Boys
Powered by RedCircle Middle school — and ages 11 to 14 — is “a time like no other!” It’s a time when significant biological, neurological and emotional changes are happening simultaneously. Middle school boys can be a confusing mix. They want to be treated like adults AND still do incredibly silly things. Jerome Hunter, co-founder … Continue reading What Middle School Boys Need
Powered by RedCircle The New Masculinity: A Roadmap for a 21st Century Definition of Manhood, by Alex Manley, can help boys create their own unique definition of what it means to be a man. With a last name like Manley, it was impossible for Alex to ignore the societal pressures for boys and men to … Continue reading The New Masculinity
Powered by RedCircle Jonathon Reed has a lot of experience talking to tween & teen boys. As a program manager with NextGenMen, a Canadian organization dedicated to changing how the world sees, acts and thinks about masculinity, Reed frequently works with boys in grades 6-8. He says that while boys today are more comfortable wearing … Continue reading Talking to Tween & Teen Boys
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 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
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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