For any kid, moving up from elementary to middle school presents a challenge. For boys, who are almost always still children – i.e. have not hit puberty yet – when they enter middle school, that change might not seem too much of a change at first. The learning shift that happens in middle school – … Read more
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
Stress “Fight or flight” – we’ve all heard of it. We’ve all experienced it. When in a stressful situation, your body reacts with an elevated heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, increased breathing rate, dilated pupils. You’re on alert, ready to fight or flee in response to the stressor that caused the reaction. In … Read more
Let’s put it right up front: we’ll be talking about learning disabilities. There are four categories of learning disabilities that are commonly seen as having gender differences. Let’s take them one by one: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): This is what used to be called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADHD diagnoses have been in three … Read more
If your little fellow is headed to first grade in the fall, you’ve been spending over five years getting him ready. You’ve helped him learn how to interact and socialize with other people – kids and adults. You’ve read to him, talked with him, sung songs and played games that have helped light up the … Read more
Over on the Facebook page for the new book, I’ve been having some great conversations with moms from around the world about engaging and raising boys who love to learn. I thought I’d share some of that dialog here, so here goes: Mom: My son is 11 years old and I am a young single … Read more
You’ve navigated infancy and the terrible-twos. Your little boy plays with other kids, and is actively exploring the world. One of the lessons that both of you will have to learn is this: roughhousing is critical to your son’s development. You’ve likely had at least a few instances of play-dates that involved someone getting hurt … Read more
“I can’t do math, I’m not left-brained.” “I’m an artist, I’m right-brained.” At birth, the left side of a little girl’s brain is developing faster, while the right side is developing faster in a little boy’s. The left side of the brain is considered to be the language center, and the right side is where … Read more
All kidding aside, they really are, and in more ways than just the obvious, physical ones. If your family includes both little boys and little girls, you’ve already witnessed this difference first-hand. Why those differences exist has been a topic of discussion for centuries. Is it nature? Is it nurture? Both come into play. When … Read more
He complains writing hurts his hand. You mentioned a condition where the physical nature of writing by hand is difficulty–I think you said your son’s writing was aiding by switching to keyboarding. Could you send me the name of the condition or a link to more information about this. A: The condition is called dyspraxia … Read more