Raising Boys to Be Good Men: Book Review
I have spent two decades working on raising boys to be good men. Have I succeeded? Early signs look good — my 22 year old is living, working and studying independently in another state; my 19 year old recently cooked me a birthday dinner; and all 4 of my boys prioritize time with extended family […]
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 mothers are largely responsible for themselves, which is why so […]
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 either “gay” or “a girl” because he attended dance class, […]
Six Things Every Father Should Teach His Son About Cars
Everyone knows that boys love their toys, but if there’s one thing that most fathers and sons have in common, it’s a fascination with cars. You may have already noticed that your son is interested in cars and all things with wheels from the time you bought him his first Matchbox car. For some boys, […]
4 Activities For Sons & Fathers To Bond
Pexels The best way to raise a strong son is to give him plenty of contact with a strong father. Mothers can of course teach sons to grow extremely well, but there is no substitute for a father and his guidance. Many people might take offense to this, but this fact doesn’t suggest that mothers […]
Boys Need Dads, But…
The absence of fathers has long been blamed for boys’ problems in society. Boys who lack regular interaction with a caring, loving, living-in-the-same-house adult male, the thinking goes, will become troublemakers. Dads are hugely important. Research studies, anecdotal evidence and common sense consistently show that dads’ involvement is positively correlated to academic success, cognitive development and social […]
BuildingBoys Resource: The Dovetail Project
Sheldon Smith’s dad wasn’t there for him. His grandfather wasn’t there for his dad. Sheldon was determined to stop the cycle. At the age of 19, on the verge of becoming a father himself, he founded The Dovetail Project, an initiative designed to teach young African-American fathers (ages 17-24) the parenting, life and job readiness […]
Why I Want My Boys to be Just Like Pa
The real Pa Ingalls I loved Little House on the Prairie when I was the kid. Loved the books, loved the TV series. I watched the TV show every week, and read and re-read the books more times than I can count. So when I had kids, I naturally wanted to introduce them to characters […]
Boys & Violence
Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr Are boys predisposed to violence? I’m not talking about play wrestling. I’m talking about serious violence. Have you noticed that virtually every mass murderer was male? That the school shooting and mass shootings that pop up on our news casts far too often typically feature a young male shooter? You […]
Boys & Violence
Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr Are boys predisposed to violence? I’m not talking about play wrestling. I’m talking about serious violence. Have you noticed that virtually every mass murderer was male? That the school shooting and mass shootings that pop up on our news casts far too often typically feature a young male shooter? You […]