Q. My son has been playing little league baseball and he really enjoys playing even though his team doesn’t win a lot of games. In the recent tournament at the end of the season, everyone on his team received participation trophies. I found his in the trash the other day. What is with that? A. … Read more
Q. I have such a hard time disciplining my boy. I try to get him to see that his behavior hurts other people, but that does not seem to get him to want to be better. What can I do? A. Boys require structure in their lives. All they need to know is whether a … Read more
Q. When my son comes home from school, he gets plugged into the computer playing games or watching TV. His school says that he can’t pay attention in class and I don’t understand why if he can pay attention at home and not at school. A. There is evidence that the longer children, particularly boys, … Read more
Q. My son is in a soccer league on weekends and they practice several times a week after school. He is not the best player, but does get some time on the field. He says he does not enjoy it, but I know that he needs the exercise. Is there anything else he can do? … Read more
Q. Who sees better in the dark? Boys or girls? A. I’m sorry that there really isn’t a definitive answer mainly because the research done in this area doesn’t look specifically at gender differences in night vision. As far as differences in eyes go, we know that more males are subject to color blindness, or … Read more
Q. All my little boy wants to do when he has a friend over is fight with him. I have told him that if he can’t play nicely with the other boy, that he can’t have his friend over. My son says they are not fighting, they are wrestling. What can I do? A. What … Read more
Q. One thing that bothers me about some of the boys in my middle school classes is that when I ask them a question, they don’t look at me when they answer. I think that they would give more focused answers if they were paying closer attention to me. I said this to one of … Read more
Q. I teach 4th grade. Several of the boys in my class can’t seem to sit quietly in their seats when they are working. They are on task and paying attention, but they fidget a lot and bother other students. Is there anything I can do? A. Give them something to manipulate. Research is clear … Read more
Q. Is reading to children all that important? I provide books on tape and they listen to the TV and the radio. Why do they need me to read to them? A. It is very clear that the single most important thing that parents can do to prepare their children for school is to read … Read more
Q. My little boy is such a wild man at the end of the day. Once he is ready for bed, we have been letting him watch a little TV to settle him down. He is quiet, but he doesn’t get sleepy and we have a battle getting him to bed. What is going on? … Read more