Читать книгу The Complete Parenting Collection - Steve Biddulph, Steve Biddulph - Страница 59
IN A NUTSHELL
ОглавлениеThe gender differences created by male hormones and male genes need to be handled in practical ways. The following sums up what you can do with your boy to help him be a ‘new kind of man’.
| BECAUSE BOYS OFTEN: | WE NEED TO: |
|---|---|
| …are prone to separation anxiety … | …show them as much affection as we do girls, and avoid separations, such as leaving them in childcare before the age of three. |
| …have testosterone surges, making them sometimes argumentative and restless – especially around age fourteen … | … calmly guide them through conflicts – settle them down with reasoning, not yelling at or attacking them. Be clear that they need to show good manners always, and never use or threaten violence. Fathers need to be role models and to insist that mothers are respected. |
| …have growth spurts that make them vague and disorganised, especially at age thirteen (this applies to girls too) … | … get involved in organising them, teaching them systems for tidying rooms, doing housework, tackling school projects in small bites, having a routine. |
| …have bursts of physical energy that need to be expressed … | … be sure to allow lots of space and time for exercise and moving about. |
| …have a slower rate of brain development, affecting fine-motor skills in early primary school … | … delay starting school until they have lots of pen-and-paper skills, can handle scissors, and so on. |
| …have fewer connections from the language half to the sensory half of the brain … | … read to them, tell them stories, and explain things, especially from ages one to eight. |
| …have a need for a clear set of rules and knowing who is in charge … | … have good, calm, orderly environments at home and school. Avoid schools where bullying is common and kids are not well supervised. |
| …have a more muscular body … | … specifically teach them not to hit or hurt others. Also teach them to use words to communicate (see our book Complete Secrets of Happy Children for ways to discipline that don’t involve hitting, shaming or blaming). |
| …have a tendency to act first without thinking of the consequences … | … talk with them often in a friendly way about options, choices, ways to solve problems, and what they can do in situations in their lives. |
