Is DIY Dead And Should We Teach It To Our Boys?
Let’s say something is broken in your home. What’s the first thing you do? Do you try and fix it yourself or do you call in the pros? Most people will probably have a go and then when they fail, they’ll resort to an online search for a nearby expert. This will be after perusing […]
Why You Need to Stop Focusing on Your Boys’ Bickering
“What you focus on, you create more of, and if you keep expecting people to annoy you they will not let you down.” — Jen Sincero, in You Are a Badass: How to Stop Starting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life I’ve been thinking about boys and bickering a lot lately. It’s a constant […]
Why Boys are Hypercompetitive (and What To Do About It)
Do you have a hypercompetitive son? One who simply has to win at all costs, who goes all out, all the time? You’re not alone. A BuildingBoys reader recently wrote: My son is 10 and he and friends play like they are going to the Olympics every time. I don’t want them to be less […]
15 Things Parents & Educators Need to Know About Boys
Before I had a smartphone, before Snapchat and Instagram, and before puberty hit the bulk of my family, I made this video with my boys:
The Inside Scoop on Parenting Tween Boys
When my friend and colleague Janet Allison of Boys Alive! asked me to share the realities of parenting tween boys during this months’ Boy Talk, I jumped at the chance. Little did I know how real this conversation was going to be! Check it out:
Real Life With Boys
I was attempting to hurry my 6-yr-old through his bedtime routine when he started scrawling something on the steamy bathroom mirror. “Stop th–,” I said, my voice trailing off as I suddenly realized what he might be writing. His finger continued through the condensation, then he pulled back and smiled at me. “I LUV MOM,” […]
Real Life With Real Boys
Photo by Hans S via Flickr Today, I was the expert, at least for an hour. I presented a one-hour session about Homeschooling Boys at the Wisconsin Parents Association conference. It was a great experience, as always. (I love talking to other parents about the joys and challenges of raising boys!) But it was also […]
Books About Boys: I’m Outnumbered!
Laura Lee Groves gets me. As another mom of four boys, she fully understands the joys and challenges of raising a houseful of mini-men. That’s why I was thrilled when she published her book, I’m Outnumbered!: One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys Laura is a high school English and drama teacher […]
Life with Boys
Am I the only boy-mom who doesn’t swoon at the sight of little girls clothes? I know quite a few moms of boys who wish they’d had a daughter — not because they yearn for the mother-daughter bond but because they dreamed of dressing a little girl in cute frilly dresses. Like this mom. When […]
You Know You Have Boys When…
…you tuck your four-year-old into bed with a gun. (Yes, Boy #4 is currently cuddled up to a toy gun.) …the same four-year-old lovingly bundles his toy skidloader after giving it a bath. …you read Dodge Vipers for a bedtime story. …you’re actually enthused when your mother announces she’s coming over to drop off part […]