In honor of International Women’s Day the article Raising Boys Who Respect Women popped up on a page I follow. Of course, I clicked on it. The article offers several suggestions for laying the foundation of boys respecting girls & women.

It opens with, “Experts agree it is never too early to think about parenting children who understand boundaries and respect.” The many conversations happening right now about  sexual harassment and sexual violence against women are an opportunity to create change – the article suggests:

• Talk about boundaries: “These are the building blocks of how boys consider personal space and boundaries later, said Ted Bunch, chief development officer of A Call To Men, which educates men on healthy, respectful manhood and aims to prevent violence against women.”
• Model good behavior: highlighting that children learn by observing their parents so share the chores and speak up if someone is being sexist.
• Make it clear that emotions are OK. “Parents should strive not to reinforce stereotypes that indicate boys are weak if they cry or feel emotions. We want to teach boys to have the full range of emotions, let them cry, let them experience their feelings.” Teaching empathy, the ability to understand others’ feeling is of course a central piece of this.
  

• Build up boys. “Boys themselves should feel empowered. Boys who have a good sense of self are less likely to seek fulfillment in unhealthy ways, Rubin said. “We have to raise them to like themselves, and to do that, we have to treat them with love and respect,” he said. “We have to appreciate their uniqueness. We need to validate their feelings; we need to empathize with their pain.” He emphasized that raising boys who like themselves benefits them and others. “When there’s less wounding, there’s less need for compensatory building up of themselves,” he said, whether acting out or acting against others.”

I often say, boys must be given more tools. In reading this article I realize what I should be saying is that parents and other adult role models need to be given tools, so they can support their boys.

“Let

them

experience

their

feelings”

5 words that hold such importance.