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Strollerderby
This is one status update that one mom's sons definitely won't be liking.
Parents have done it before. Lied about where they live so their children can attend a specific school. They use the addresses of friends or relatives in order to fool school districts with boundary rules.
But one Tennessee mom busted her own sons when she scolded them about messy rooms using – get this – Facebook.
Are you tougher on your daughter than your son?
Are you quicker to correct and criticize your daughter while you are more accepting of your son’s mistakes and flaws? If so, join the crowd.
According to a new survey, a whopping 88% of mothers admit that although they know it’s wrong, they are tougher on their daughters than their sons. Continue reading »
In Afghanistan, boys have much more freedom than girls
If you think it’s challenging to raise girls in this country, you might spare a thought for parents of daughters in Afghanistan, where giving birth to a daughter, rather than a son, is — sadly, terribly, horribly — considered a failure on her parents’ part, and where girls are deprived of many of the freedoms granted to boys.
A fascinating piece in Tuesday’s New York Times examines a startling practice that has grown out of this sad state of affairs: parents who dress their girls as boys, passing them off as sons for years until they reach puberty. Continue reading »
Boys and girls present different parenting challenges.
My sister and I have had a long-running debate about who is harder to raise, boys or girls. She’s the mother of three boys ranging in age from 6 to 18. I have two girls, one is almost ten, the other 28. Over the years, we’ve gone back and forth and have finally come to the conclusion that boys are harder when they are little and girls are harder when they are older.
And it would seem that the experts agree with our assessment. Boys and girls are harder in different ways. And a lot of the differences have to do with their stages of development. Continue reading »
Do you ever worry that, as a mom, you are a little pushy with your son? Do you tell him what to wear, who to hang out with and what exactly to do in every situation? Are you always pressuring him to do just a little more, a little better? Are you worried that you might be raising a mama’s boy?
Well, don’t be! If you and your son are anything like a bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives, your overbearing ways are going to push him right to the top of the ladder of success! What’s more, once he’s up there, he stands an excellent chance of finding a fertile female who will give you lots of wonderful grandchildren.
This weird bit of information, courtesy of the Daily Mail, comes after a recent study found that in the bonobo world, mid and low-ranking males tend to have more mating opportunities when their mothers get involved. Bonobo moms who chase away rivals and take an active role in their son’s social lives are rewarded with successful sons. And the aforementioned grandchildren.
As an example, the Daily Mail points to tennis champion Andy Murray. His mom is a notoriously pushy parent who stands on the sidelines and eggs her son on during matches. And Murray’s career is on fire.
So go ahead and push, but beware. If you are going to raise your son like a bonobo mother, you should also know this: Male bonobos are known for more than staying close to their mothers. They are also famous for enjoying intimate relations in group settings with whoever happens to be handy. So, there’s that.
Image: courtneybolton/Flickr
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We all hope we’re raising good men, those of us with sons. We want our boys to grow up to be gentle, responsible partners and fathers, as well as happy and successful. At least, I assume we do. That’s certainly what I want for the teenage boy in my house.
The Globe and Mail has a sobering column on this topic. Anthony Wolf writes about the conversation he believes every parent should have with their teenage son. Not the one about sex. The one about abuse: what it is, what it looks like, and how to avoid becoming abusive towards a woman you love.
Who hasn’t been in this situation? Your child has to go to the bathroom, and the only one to take them is the opposite-gender parent. So which bathroom do you use?
If you’re Donovan O’Neil, you take your toddler daughters into the men’s room. After all, he’s a man. So why was he attacked by a security guard? Continue reading »
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