ON BOYS: August 2020

We covered a lot of ground on ON BOYS parenting podcast in August: Back-to-school (pandemic-style!) How (& why) to start a boys’ book club Encouraging boys’ interests, no matter what they are Raising boys who become good men If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to ON BOYS so you don’t miss an episode! […]
#12daysofBuildingBoys

Today is the first day of #12daysofBuildingBoys! What’s #12daysofBuildingBoys? It’s our way of building awareness of the issues faced by boys and those who care about them. It’s a way to share information, ideas and best practices for building boys. It’s also our way to thank you, our readers and contributors. During #12daysofBuidlingBoys — which […]
Building Boys Video Contest

How do you build boys? As you know, there’s no one right way to build boys. That’s why we’re asking you, the true experts — the parents, educators, mentors and activists — to tell us how you build boys. In fact, we’d like you to show us. BuildingBoys is hosting its first ever video contest during its […]
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 […]
Happy Birthday, BuildingBoys!

BuildingBoys is one today — and we’re celebrating with a present for YOU! When we launched BuildingBoys one year ago, our goal was to provide information, tools and resources to help those who help boys. All along, we’ve planned to offer books and products to support you as you continue to build healthy boys. So […]
The Importance of a Life Plan

Here at BuildingBoys, we talk about building healthy boys. Our tagline is, “There’s no blueprint for building boys!” because we believe there’s no one “right” approach to raising and educating boys. We’re here to share ideas and information and insights, and we want you to use what works for you and your family (or school, […]
New Year’s Resolutions for People Who Care About Boys

Are you the resolution-making type? This year, consider incorporating the boys in your life into your New Year’s Resolutions. Here are 6 New Year’s Resolutions for People Who Care About Boys. 1. Read a book about boys. Want to teach/help/parent boys more effectively this year? Take some time to learn more about the challenges facing […]
Why I Was Wrong to Trash The Sound Of Music Live

I owe Carrie Underwood an apology. Like 18.5 million other viewers, I sat down to watch The Sound of Music Live last night. And like many of them, I almost immediately took to Facebook and Twitter to trash the show: Jennifer L. W. Fink 13 minutes into the Sound of Music on TV, and I […]
Giving Thanks

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving? If you’re like most people, you spent the day with family and/or friends, ate some turkey and, perhaps, watched some football. You probably also spent a few minutes reflecting on your blessings and giving thanks for the many wonderful things in your life. I’m willing to bet that your boys […]
It’s International Men’s Day. How Are You Helping Boys?

Happy International Men’s Day! This year, on this day set aside to discuss both the challenges and contributions faced by men and boys, I ask to think seriously about how you can help today’s boys — tomorrow’s men. Need some ideas? I’ve got 5 of them in my latest Parade.com post, 5 Ways to Help […]