When this sort of article appears in USA Today, you know the problems boys have in school are getting noticed – FINALLY! “Boys in crisis: Schools are failing young males. Here’s what needs to change in classrooms“ If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that everything said here is … Read more
Now that your son is allowed back in school and has the opportunity to play with his friends, the chance of head injuries will increase. It won’t surprise you that most children who are diagnosed with concussions are male, and those with serious concussions are overwhelmingly male. However, recent data indicates that those who sustain … Read more
One of the core attributes for a Boy Scout is to be brave. The scout is to stand up for what is right even in the face of adversity. It would seem that bravery is in short supply these days, particularly with the presence of so many bullies who insist on things going their way. … Read more
How many times have we said, when looking at our boys jumping around, wrestling on the grass, or shouting at each other to do something, “Oh, well, boys will be boys.” We understand that the behavior is typical of boys, that no one taught them to do it, and it usually does not end well … Read more
You may be aware of a recent event when a young woman, who was jogging on a public highway, was approached by a young man who wanted her to stop and pay him attention. The story goes that when she rejected him, he “blacked out” and when he woke up, he discovered her dead in … Read more
Earlier this month (July 2018), I was in Australia for the annual conference of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC). I’ve mentioned this group to you before. This time, I went to a pre-conference adventure that involved going to a bush school. The school is in the Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, Australia. This … Read more
I don’t know if your son has ever gotten into trouble at school, but mine certainly did. He’d come home with a note saying something to the effect that “your son received a discipline notice today because he [pick one of the following] yelled at another student | threw his books on the floor | … Read more
Two articles appeared recently in national magazines which address the issue of how damaging the amount of time adolescents spend on phones/tables/computers is to them. Specifically, both articles addressed the effect of screen time on adolescent brains and behavior. The first article appeared in The Atlantic in the September 2017 issue. Jean M. Twenge is … Read more
In the past few weeks, the news has been full of reports about women who are reporting sexual harassment from men in positions of power and authority. The question I’m getting asked is whether there is something that can be done to make sure that young boys are taught that this behavior is unacceptable. There … Read more
I’ve been working on a project about girls and perfectionism (which is one reason I forgot to post something last month), and I believe that some of the information that’s emerged from that project will interest parents of boys. Since I’ve taught both boys and girls, I was certain that the vast majority of students … Read more