124: How to Help Your Boys Have a Great School Year

Photo by ThoseGuys 199 via Flickr It's back to school time!  But despite the smiley faces pictured in many back-to-school ads, the start of a new academic year doesn't exactly generate feelings of enthusiasm and excitement in many boys (or their parents). For many families, back-to-school time is synonymous with dread, fear and anxiety. In fact, the number of boys who don't like school has increased over the past generation. In 1980, 14% of boys said they didn't like school. By 2001, 24% of boys -- nearly one-quarter -- said they disliked school. Today, the number is likely even higher. We get it: school isn't always a boy-friendly place. Boys who have experienced failure and shame in school aren't likely to suddenly develop an optimistic attitude toward school. That's where you come in. There's a lot parents and teachers can do to preserve boys' love of learning, and set them up for a successful school year, including introducing them to new rules and teachers well before the first day and creating morning and after-school routines that respect boys' need for movement. Also important: learning about boys' natural development, so you can better understand why so many boys struggle in school. In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss: * The unique challenges boys face in modern classrooms, including early academic pressure and expectations that aren't aligned with boy development  (3:25 & 9:15)) * Why it's important to tackle your own unresolved issues and values regarding learning and education (4:00) * How to help boys starting preschool (6:30) * Why you need to explicitly outline behavior expectations for school and home (12:04) * How unscheduled downtime helps boys learn (14:05) * Why you should focus on developing boys' social-emotional skills (14:58) * Setting screen time limits (15:50) * Why (& when) it's OK to prioritize life over homework (16:40) * The "potted plant" method of parenting -- & how to use it to support teen boys (18:00) * How to help your boys get organized (19:23) * Why letting our boys fail will ultimately allow them to succeed (20:36) * How to get teenage boys to talk about school (22:00) * Helps boys transition to high school (22:50) * How teachers can connect with boys (25:42) * How humor can help you deal with setbacks (29:23) Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 124: Episode 101: Homework & Boys Episode 106: Screens & Boys 7 Ways Teachers Can Make School Better for Boys -- BuildingBoys blog post Boys & School -- classic BuildingBoys post about the challenges Jen's son Sam encountered when he started school 5 Back-to-School Resolutions