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| Quick reference medical handouts used
by Pediatric offices |
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How are Our Boys Doing?
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We have the most violent non-war population of children in the world,
according to Michael Gurian, author of The Good Son. More youngsters
in the United States commit violent acts every day than anywhere else, and
90% of them are boys. Therefore, no matter how effective, motivated, and
attentive we are as parents, our children go to school with boys who are
lost and who have access to lethal weapons. Thus, violence prevention is
everybody’s business!
Geoffrey Canada, author of Reaching Up for Manhood, offers
the following suggestions for raising better boys:
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Reach out to boys early on and get them to talk about their feelings,
which is easier to do when boys are young.
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Make sure boys can take risks in safe, developmentally appropriate
ways, through such things as sports, dance, or horseback riding.
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Give boys more positive messages of self-worth and reduce the number
of negative messages from others, which often come through the media and
marketing industry.
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Ensure that our boys have male role models who take a personal interest
in their moral, intellectual, and emotional development.
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Monitor what boys see and hear on television, the radio, and in
movies.
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Expose boys to different cultures and points of view.
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Know boys’ friends and what they do.
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Expose boys to new experiences such as nature walks, sailing, singing,
sewing, and dancing.
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Have a multilayered support system—parents, grandparents, uncles
and aunts, cousins their own age, coaches, teachers, and caring adults who
run after-school activities.
Remember, most children are like dandelions. They thrive if given
half a chance. Some are more like orchids. They do fine while young enough
to be nurtured by loving parents, but wilt as adolescents if they develop
a secret life, get caught up in the dark side of culture, or form dangerous
peer alliances. The bottom line is that parents be constantly vigilant, flexible
to make adjustments, and refuse to give up on him.
As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as
medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your child’s pediatrician.
Please read our full disclaimer.
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