On Raising Confident and Healthy Boys

Raising boys today is no easy task. When it comes to masculinity, our society still adheres to traditional and antiquated stereotypes.

Boys are supposed to be tough, strong, and stoic, as opposed to weak, emotional, or vulnerable.

But in reality, assigning these attributes to a gender is random and dangerous. Ignoring emotions and disavowing vulnerability is extremely problematic.

With that said, here are five suggestions for raising healthy and confident boys.

1. Nurture feelings.

Allow your children to experience their feelings—whatever they may be. Validate and acknowledge them while focusing on effective behavioral strategies. Use language like, “Billy, I understand that you are upset that Bobby took your toy. It’s normal to feel sad when something you love is taken away. Let’s try to figure out a way to ask for it back.”

This will allow and encourage boys to feel good about having different types of emotions and see emotions as a guidance rather than a nuisance.

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