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The human body is designed to resist toxicity. It’s not until we’re immersed in it for a long period of time that it becomes dangerous. That’s why the most important thing we can do as role models and mentors in boys’ lives is to provide an unwavering sensation of being known and loved.
Read MoreWhere are boys practicing the attitudes, language and behaviour that will define them as young men? Where are they figuring out whether or not to challenge the status quo? It’s not in an all-gender, safe-space health class where boys are outnumbered and unlikely to speak up anyway.
Read MoreThis is what transformation looks like. This is the road map or the kind of future that we want to build for the next generation—to end cycles of violence, to change what bullying looks like, to change the landscape of mental health for young people.
Read MoreOne of the best to connect with young people is by sharing time with them. We know that. It is, however, sometimes easier said than done. As we head into the holiday season, consider snuggling up for a TV show. Make some space on the couch and make it a weekly ritual. Here are some shows that you will both enjoy.
Read MorePeer-led allyship is all-too-often a response to school-level inaction. Educators have enormous power to uphold the rights of gender-expansive students. That is a sacred trust that we hold.
Read MoreIf we can find the balance between pushing our boys towards mental health resources and waiting for them to get there on their own, we find ourselves standing right alongside them. That’s where we belong.
Read MoreYou’re not going to stop your son from being exposed to, or enjoying, pornography. I’m sorry, but you’re not. You can, however, be there as a source of support for him as he explores his feelings, his body, and the different choices he can make to positively impact his relationships and the world around him.
Read MoreIn 2018, men's grooming brand Harry’s started trying to set itself apart from the competition with a short film that tenderly shows that masculinity can have a softer side. It tells the story of a boy who befriends an alien and teaches him how to be a man, giving way to tender reflection as the boy asks the alien if he has seen his father in the stars.
Read MoreOne of the valuable things about using the Man Box in programming with boys and young men is that it makes the invisible visible. We often use it as a way to understand the ways that traditional norms of masculinity constrict how boys and men are allowed to act and express themselves.
So what is the Man Box?
Read MoreWhen given the chance, boys are incredibly thoughtful about masculinity and open to reflecting on what manhood means to them. In order to support their positive development, parents and educators need to have a grounded understanding of what masculinity means beyond a media catchphrase like toxic masculinity.
Read MoreTime and time again, boys show us that if we raise the bar, they will meet us there. If we create a space for meaningful discussions, they will fill it. If we offer them an alternative to the boys-will-be-boys culture that would motivate a student to disrupt a presentation, they will show up with open hearts and open minds.
Read MoreAs parents, educators and mentors for the young people in our lives, we have options, and we have hope. We can build our skills. We can do our homework and practise our craft. We can keep learning and unlearning, each building our own inner knowledge base through research and experience.
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