Podcasts · Kids & Family · Education

ON BOYS Podcast

Janet Allison, Jennifer LW Fink

300 episodes

Real Talk about Parenting, Teaching, and Reaching Tomorrow’s Men

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. How to Talk with Boys Like a Pro

    · 20 min

    Talking with boys — especially tween & teenage boys — can be tricky. Shrugs, grunts, and silence often stand in the way of the conversations parents want to have. Add in timing issues, big emotions, and the pull of…

  2. Unlocking Motivation: How to Help Your Son Find His Spark

    · 11 min

    Is your son pulling away, shutting down, or showing little interest in school or chores? You’re not alone — and there is a way forward. In this third episode of our special 3-part ON BOYS series, we focus on how to…

  3. How Your Anxiety is Sabotaging Your Son’s Motivation

    · 9:35

    You can’t effectively boost boys’ motivation until you address YOUR anxiety and fear. We know: You want your son to do his homework. To follow through on commitments. To care. So, when he shrugs, resists, or just…

  4. Boost Boys’ Motivation

    · 12 min

    It is possible to boost boys’ motivation. Doing so, though, starts with understanding why so boys are unmotivated. A big part of it is developmental: apathy and an “I don’t care/I don’t wanna” attitude commonly show…

  5. The End of an Era

    · 33 min

    The first episode of ON BOYS podcast went live March 12, 2018. Seven years ago! Over the past seven years, we’ve talked to guests from around the globe: Maggie Dent, Michael Gurian, Amy Lang, ADHD Dude Ryan…

  6. Raising Awe-Seekers (w Deborah Farmer Kris)

    · 54 min

    Raising Awe-Seekers, the first parenting book by author Deborah Farmer Kris, outlines a transformative approach to parenting based on joy, wonder, and curiosity. Science, Deb says, shown that awe isn’t just a…

  7. Listener Q & A: Navigating the Complexities of Raising Boys

    · 49 min

    How do you respond to a 6-year-old boy who thinks he has to “play rough” to prove his masculinity? How can you make space a small boy’s emotions when you also have other kids to keep on track? And what do you do,…

  8. Boys, A Rescue Plan: Conversation w Michael Gurian

    · 48 min

    Do boys need a rescue plan? The available evidence says yes. Collectively, our boys are struggling academically, socially, emotionally, and economically. Their academic, educational, and workforce involvement has…

  9. Helping Boys Find A Path to Manhood

    · 54 min

    How do we help boys along the path to manhood? That’s a question Paul Cumbo, a veteran educator, has been asking for a long time. It’s one he’s well-positioned to answer too, given that he’s spent the past few decades…

  10. Creating Schools Where Black Boys—and All Students—Succeed

    · 41 min

    What if supporting Black boys could transform education for all students? David Kirkland, founder & CEO of forwardED, believes it can—and research backs him up. In this episode, David challenges educators to put a…

  11. Imperfect Men Can Build Boys Too

    · 42 min

    Imperfect men helped Greg Hlavaty become a good guy. “I think what saved me were men who stepped in as surrogate fathers,” Greg wrote in a recent essay. Those men weren’t exactly role models: One, Greg says, “was…

  12. Understanding the Parent Amplification Effect

    · 39 min

    Do you know what the parent amplification effect is? Do you know how to use it your (and your kids’!) benefit? “Because of children’s dependency on their parents, any parental remark – positive or negative – gets…

  13. Rebels with a Cause: Dr. Niobe Way on Building a Relational World

    · 55 min

    What happens when we prioritize independence over connection? According to Dr. Niobe Way, a developmental psychologist and author of Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, & Our Future, it creates a “boy…

  14. Unlocking the Power of Play

    · 50 min

    Play is a powerful tool for parenting & child development. Mr. Rogers once said “Play is serious learning” and “the work of childhood,” and we and our guest, Georgie Wisen-Vincent, couldn’t agree more. That’s not to…

  15. Male Puberty Starts Sooner Than You Think

    · 42 min

    Modern male puberty starts sooner than you think. Boys today may enter puberty as early as age nine. That’s why your 10-year-old’s mood swings might actually be linked to these new hormonal shifts. As Cara Natterson…

  16. Best of 2024

    · 40 min

    Which ON BOYS episodes were the Best of 2024? Photo by ALINA MATVEYCHEVA via Pexels Your favorites include: 5. Needed: Boy-Friendly Schools Tyler, a 16-year-old Texas boy, started struggling in middle school.…

  17. 2024 Listener Fav

    · 53 min

    Gaming is a BIG part of boys’ lives today! So, it’s no surprise that our March 14 conversation with Dr. K, How to Raise a Healthy Gamer, is our Listener Fav of 2024. Dr. K (full name: Alok Kanojia) is a psychiatrist,…

  18. Listen to Boys & Young Men

    · 54 min

    How often do we really listen to boys & young men? Not nearly often enough! There’s been a lot of chatter lately about boys & young men, masculinity, and the growing gender gap in politics – and very little public…

  19. Male Suicide & Mental Health: A Father’s Story of Love & Loss

    · 52 min

    We gotta talk about male suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for help in the United States. Call 988 or 800-273-TALK…

  20. Exploring the Gender Gap

    · 50 min

    If you heard anything at all about the 2024 U.S. presidential election, you likely encountered the term "gender gap." More than half of female voters (53%) voted for Kamala Harris; more than half of male voters (also…

  21. Navigating Youth Mental Health in the Digital Age

    · 44 min

    How can we support our boys’ well-being during a youth mental health crisis? How can we help them navigate life in this digital age? Katey McPherson has been working on these issues for years. Since we last talked in…

  22. Raising Boys Beyond the Man Box

    · 41 min

    Do you know what the “man box” is? Your boys do, whether they know the term or not. The “man box” is the set of expectations, perceptions, and behaviors that are considered “manly” in our society. In this episode,…

  23. Amy Lang Discusses Puberty, Perimenopause, & Neurodivergence

    · 49 min

    Puberty, perimenopause, and neurodivergence affects brains and bodies. And in two or more of those things are going on in our household at the same time…well, things can get particularly challenging, says Amy Lang,…

  24. Janet & Jen on Life & Raising Boys

    · 41 min

    Raising boys isn’t easy. Living isn’t easy! But with patience, trust, and community support, it’s easier — & more pleasant. In this wide-ranging conversation, Janet Allison & Jennifer L.W. Fink , the hosts of ON BOYS…

  25. Andrew Reiner: What Boys Need

    · 45 min

    Boys need support, not disdain In June 2024, Andrew Reiner, author of Better Boys, Better Men: The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency, published an article entitled “Our culture’s…

  26. What Parents (& Boys) Need to Know About AI

    · 45 min

    AI — artificial intelligence — is already a big part of our everyday lives. We rely on it to help us get from one place to another. (GPS directions, anyone?) We use it to polish our prose. (Spell check and Grammarly,…

  27. Uplifting Black Boys Benefits All Students

    · 40 min

    Young Black men and boys remain the most vulnerable student population in U.S. schools. That’s why David Kirkland, founder & CEO of forwardED, is asking educators to “put a deliberate focus on Black boys” this year –…

  28. Stop, Drop, Grow, and Glow with Holly Swenson

    · 45 min

    Stop, drop, grow, and glow? That’s Holly Swenson’s advice to parents. Swenson, a RN-turned-writer and mom of 4 boys (currently ages 10, 13, 15, & 15) was approximately seven years into parenting when she realized that…

  29. Helping Boys Thrive at Any Size

    · 47 min

    Kids can thrive at any size, says Jill Castle, a pediatric dietician, parent, and author of Kids Thrive at Any Size: How to Nourish Your Big, Small, or In-Between Child for a Lifetime of Health & Happiness. Takeaways:…

  30. Overcoming Fears and Worries to Say YES

    · 49 min

    How can parents overcome their fears and worries so they can say YES to their boys’ interests and passions? That’s the question we discuss with Heather Sponholz, a “boy mom” who’s said yes to her teenage sons’ solo…

  31. “Be A Man” Project Helps Us Understand Teen Boys

    · 43 min

    SheKnows’ “Be a Man” project is an “exploration of what it means to be a man today,” says Erika Janes, a “boy mom” and SheKnows editor-in-chief. Importantly, the project includes teen boys and gives them an…

  32. What’s the Goal of Youth Sports?

    · 55 min

    What is the goal of youth sports? It seems like an obvious question with an obvious answer. Isn’t the goal to provide kids with an opportunity to play sports? And to develop skills, teamwork, and camaraderie along the…

  33. Back to School w a 5th Grade Teacher

    · 43 min

    It’s back-to-school time! What does this time of year look like for you & your family? Does your son dread back-to-school? Do you? Or, do you welcome that start of a new school year? Rob Vaughn, a 5th grade teacher,…

  34. Steve Biddulph Discusses the Wild Creature Mind

    · 37 min

    The right hemisphere of your brain is your “wild creature mind,” says Steve Biddulph, the Australian author, psychologist, and family therapist known for his work on parenting and child development (including his…

  35. Dr. Niobe Way on Reimagining Boys

    · 55 min

    Boys know that deep friendships are critical to mental health, says Dr. Niobe Way, a developmental psychologists who’s been studying boys for 40 years. But as boys move through their teenage years, many of them — as…

  36. Circumcision: Facts & Myths

    · 50 min

    Circumcision is a decision every boy parent must face – but what’s the truth behind the practice? Let’s break down the facts and dispel the myths. Culture & emotion influence circumcision rates Surgical removal of…

  37. Understanding & Supporting Neurodivergent Boys

    · 56 min

    How do we best support neurodivergent boys? Approximately 12% of boys in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD. About 3% are on the autism spectrum. 18% of boys have dyslexia. An untold number are gifted –…

  38. Jonathon Reed: To Connect with Boys, Listen

    · 47 min

    To connect with boys, you must first listen, says Jonathon Reed, program manager for NextGenMen. Societal expectations of boys & men are gradually shifting. These shifting narratives are part of why it’s so important…

  39. Dr. Lisa Damour: Connecting with Teens

    · 45 min

    Dr. Lisa Damour says that adults should consider the barriers boys face when it comes to emotional connection and expression. "Gender is such a huge force in how emotion is expressed, and perhaps even in how emotion…

  40. Brendan Kwiatkowski: Connecting w Teen Boys

    · 50 min

    Brendan Kwiatkowski knows that connecting with teenage boys requires understanding, patience, and a willingness to create a safe emotional space. Kwiatkowski, PhD, a renowned researcher specializing in boys’ emotions,…

  41. Teacher Tom on Connections & Play-Based Learning

    · 49 min

    Teacher Tom says “kids haven’t changed at all” over recent decades. “Kids still need freedom to play, to follow their own curiosity,to ask and answer questions,and to learn how to get along with other people,” he…

  42. Women are America’s Safety Net & That’s a Problem for Boys

    · 43 min

    Women are America’s safety net. Women provide the vast majority of child and elder care and care for the disabled. Women do the bulk of home- and community-tending, and they create and reinforce the ties that bind us…

  43. Navigating Parenthood Beyond Stereotypes with Jaimie Kelton

    · 43 min

    Like most moms, Jaimie Kelton has “so many thoughts & fears on raising a boy.” “I question myself constantly,” says Jamie, host of The Queer Family podcast and mom to two children, a 10-year-old daughter & a…

  44. Emily Edlynn on a Healthier Approach to Tech

    · 44 min

    Child psychologist Emily Edlynn says a healthier approach to tech is good for the whole family. As she wrote in her Substack newsletter, the currently popular shame-blame-restrict approach to social media, screens,…

  45. Adam Price: “He’s Not Lazy”

    · 42 min

    Dr. Adam Price’s book, He’s Not Lazy, is one that parents of teenage boys frequently recommend to each other. There’s good reason for that: He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself addresses parents’…

  46. BoyMom Ruth Whippman on Reimaging Boyhood

    · 45 min

    BoyMom Ruth Whippman has spent significant time reimagining boyhood. As a mom of 3 boys, she knows that raising boys today is a complex endeavor. As she writes in her book, BOYMOM: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of…

  47. Connecting With Boys & Answering Your Questions

    · 52 min

    In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss: • The end of an era (Jen’s last son finishes high school!) • What Jen will NOT miss about having a kid a school • How parenting is like labor & birth • Transactional vs.…

  48. Opioids & Narcan: What You Need to Know

    · 45 min

    If you think you don’t know anybody who takes opioids, have you asked? Those are the words of Julia Pinksy, an Oregon-based mom who lost her son to an opioid overdose. “It’s been 10 years since he passed,” she…

  49. Do Schools Create “Problem Boys?”

    · 47 min

    Boys don’t do as well in school as girls. On the whole, they earn lower grades and more disciplinary referrals. You will typically find more boys in detention than at the top of the class. Are boys the problem? Is…

  50. FBI: Sextortion Targets Boys

    · 44 min

    Sextortion disproportionately affects boys. Between October 2021 & March 2023, the FBI & Homeland Security Investigation received more than 13,000 reports of online sextortion of minors. Most of the victims were boys.…

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