Jennifer L. W. Fink

Teens & Memes: What I Learned

Tackling the subject of teens and memes is a bit…fraught. Last week, the New York Times published my article, The Role of Memes in Teen Culture. The article is aimed at parents (and grandparents and teachers), and it’s intended purpose is to help adults understand

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group of African-American boys

Understanding (& Helping) Black Boys

On the whole, black boys fare worse that white boys on just about every measure: They are more likely to fail in schools, and more likely to drop out prior to graduation. They are less likely to attend (or graduate) from college, and less likely

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5 Ways To Boost Your Son’s Literacy Skills

For several years there’s been much study into boys vs. girls’ literacy enjoyment and success. According to a survey in Psychology Today, 52% of boys (compared with 72% of girls) said that they enjoyed reading books in the summer holidays. The study also reported that

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Be a Better “Boy Parent”

20+ years into parenting boys, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on how to be an effective “boy parent.” I did not feel that way nearly 20 years ago, when I was trying to figure out why my perfectly content little boys

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Yes, Boys Are Struggling!

Author Peggy Orenstein has a new book out this week, Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity. (Spoiler alert: we’ll be interviewing Orenstein on ON BOYS podcast later this month.) Orenstein’s been making the media rounds and as

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Top Posts of 2019

2019: Conversations about boys move to center stage. CBSN created a documentary about raising boys. The American Psychological Association released recommendations for working with boys and men, igniting a debate about “traditional masculinity.” At home, parents of boys continued to grapple with screen time and

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mom holding son

In Defense of Single Moms Raising Boys

Many people are horrified at the thought of single moms raising boys. In fact, some take it further and blame single moms for boys’ violent acts and declining academic achievement. Suzanne Venker, author of The War on Men, recently wrote: At home, boys of single

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Why I’m Building Boys

I’m building boys because I was blessed with four of them. My advocacy on behalf of boys — heck, most of my career, at this point — grew out of the simple fact that I am a mother of four boys. Being a mom of

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Moms Need Mentors Too

Hospitals and birth centers don’t send new moms home with mentors, but maybe they should.  According to the dictionary, a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor.” Wouldn’t that come in handy while parenting? I’ve been thinking about mentors ever since I attended a short

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boy dancing tango with girl

Yes, Boys Can Dance

It’s 2019. I can’t believe I have to say this, but here it goes: BOYS CAN DANCE.  One day after releasing a podcast episode with the creator of #MyBoyCan, a international movement founded by Sassy Harvey after her 4-year-old son was told he must be

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Building Boys

You can purchase the newest book from Building Boys at the following websites: