Building Boys in a World That Misunderstands Males

Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World That Misunderstands Males is Jen’s second book. Janet says it contains “wise words from a mom who has successfully raised four boys,” “wise words from an author who knows how to weave personal stories with scientific research,” and “wise words from the many experts she’s interviewed” — including many here ON BOYS!The book has been years in the making — years of parenting, learning, pitching, and writing. And it’s applicable to all kinds of families: those raising little boys as well as those raising teens; those raising neurodiverse boys; two-parent families, single-parent families, and more. It’s built around 10 broad guidelines that parents can use to guide their parenting choices & daily interactions:Learn the terrainEmphasize emotional intelligenceDiscuss & demonstrated healthy relationshipsLet him struggleHelp him find & develop his talentsGive him timeChallenge him with chores & caregivingKeep him closeConnect him to the real worldAccept him as he is“I can’t tell you the specific of what to do when your 7-year-old is poking his 4-year-old brother, but I can give you some really good guidelines that you can use to figure out what you want to do next,” Jen says. “What I tried to do in this book is share some of the things that I learned the hard way.”In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:How parenting boys influenced Building BoysWhat Jen’s boys think about the bookWhich chapter Jen wrote firstJanet’s favorite “rule”The pace of male developmentSibling relationshipsMale friendshipFacilitating boys’ interestsThe power of connectionHow bias & racism affect boysHow self-doubt hurts parents of boys (& their sons)Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World That Misunderstands Males, by Jennifer L.W. FinkBuilding Boys Bulletin — Jen’s newsletterThe First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys — Jen’s first bookWhy You Need to Stop Focusing on Your Boys’ Bickering – Building Boys blog postHow to Raise a Boy with Michael C. Reichert — ON BOYS episode mentioned during this oneMore Wisdom from Teacher Tom — ON BOYS episode mentioned during this oneCaste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel WilkersonHow to Build Your Village – ON BOYS episode mentioned during this oneSponsor Spotlight: Better HelpTherapy to help you live a more empowered life. Go to BetterHelp.com/onboys to save 10%Sponsor Spotlight: FITAIDClean Energy + Sports Recovery. Go to drinkfitaid.com/ONBOYS and get 40% off       Our Sponsors:* Check out Armoire: armoire.style/ONBOYS* Check out ByHeart and use my code ONBOYS for a great deal: byheart.com* Check out Lumen: lumen.me/ONBOYSAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy