The Value of Free Play

NY Times Lanza Playborhood image

Have you seen the movie, Stand By Me? If you’re the parent of a male child, you MUST see that movie. It’s the finest portrayal of what the life of 12-year-old boys would be like if they were allowed to decide. The movie takes place in 1959, and in that year, I was the same … Read more

“Teen brain”

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Parent – “Why did you do that, you knew that was not allowed!” Child – “I don’t know why, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time.” The one gender difference in brain development that most scientists agree on is that the prefrontal lobe, the part of our brain called the executive decision … Read more

What matters to boys?

bright faced boys photo

Boys have the reputation of being unemotional and not caring about others. In fact, the opposite is probably true – boys care a great deal about everything in their lives especially those around them. The problem is that they may not be able to express those emotions in part because they acquire words a bit … Read more

Rites of Passage

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I just got back from the Boys’ Schools conference and that always gives me lots of new topics to share with you all. The theme for the conference this year was Building Boys into Good Men and there were lots of speakers talking about how to do just that. One of the sessions I attended … Read more

Boys, friendships, and bullying

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Friendships Boys are much more emotional creatures than society, and cultural norms, would have you believe. Friendships and buddies are very important to boys. My research, and research by others, says that boys get more social support from their buddies than from their parents, or from girl friends. The group that your son belongs to … Read more