It’s hard enough to talk body parts and their intricacies with a fellow adult; discussing them with a teenager who’d rather have his spleen removed by tiny gnawing rodents than hear you say “penis” is a feat like no other. — Heidi Stevens It is
It can be very, very difficult to talk to our boys about rape culture and sexual consent. In many cases, they don’t want to hear it and we don’t want to talk about it. But it is ESSENTIAL to talk to our boys (& girls) about
Social-emotional competency is key to school success, but doesn’t come naturally to a lot of boys. In my book, The Elementary and Middle School Student-Friendly Handbook to Navigating Success, I detail eight strategies students can use to handle stressors and prevent bullying — as well
The news is impossible to miss: Donald Trump said, on tape, that he grabs women by the pussy. That he kisses them without consent. Many others will debate and discuss what this means for American politics. What this moment means for American parents is that
Do you know what emotional intelligence is and why it’s important? Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and respond to emotions (yours, and others’) in healthy, productive ways. You’ve likely already noticed both high and low levels of emotional intelligence in action. Think about
Ask them, “What do you think about the words, ‘rape culture?’” Then listen. Listen to what they say and to what they express. Listen for the silences and hesitation. Listen past the defensiveness. Bite your own tongue, if you must, but instead of building a
I hear so many parents of boys complain that their boys are lazy and unmotivated. So many parents and educators who tell me that the boys in their life lack drive, persistence and enthusiasm. These parents and educators are worried because they know that success
The headline — Boys should be treated “more like girls” to stop them falling behind at school — was enough to make me scream. The thinking behind it moved me to action and inspired me to write this post. If you’ve followed BuildingBoys for awhile, you know
A note from Jennifer: A week ago, in light of the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and 5 Dallas police officers, I re-shared my 2014 post, Why We Need To Worry About Black Boys. The response was generally positive, but I got
You likely know how important reading during the summer is to help students from experiencing the documented “summer slide.” But, actually getting your kids – especially boys – to read can be a challenge. As the mom of two boys, ages 9 and 11, whose
Boys and girls are different, biologically and socially. Yet despite the fact that most people know and accept that fact as, well, fact, one of the biggest mistakes we humans make is to assume that others are like us — and to assume, when we
I love talking about boys & education. So when Evan Hanson, a father, writer and marriage and family therapist, invited me to participate in his new podcast series, 936 Weeks to Manhood, I eagerly accepted. I’m so glad I did. Evan is smart and witty and clearly
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