Mothers Raising Sons
Why are boys so noisy?
Why do they break things?
Why are they fascinated with things that can burn, blind and cripple them?
Why do they lose the gift of speech and get so smelly at adolescence?
All this and more is revealed, with some surprising and controversial assessments about the differences between boys and girls, in the new parenting guide by clinical psychologist Nigel Latta.
Mothers Raising Sons examines the science behind boys' behaviour, and addresses such thorny issues as:
Why boys' brains are hardwired so they cannot talk about their feelings
Why boys are better at building bridges and girls are better at building relationships
Why boys achieve better results in single-sex schools
If you want effective strategies instead of platitudes, solutions instead of catch phrases, reassurance as well as guidance, this is the book that welcomes you to the real world of raising boys. With practical examples and case studies, Mothers Raising Sons is a reassuring guide for anyone raising boys, particularly single mothers worried about the lack of men in their son's lives.
'I want mums to be able to make more informed judgements about what does and does not matter to their boys, and to be more aware of the politics which underlies all parenting advice. My politics are simple: don't over-think - the way forward is far simpler, and far more familiar than you have been led to believe.' - Nigel Latta
Nigel Latta is a respected clinical psychologist, parenting expert, bestselling author, and father of two boys of his own, Nigel Latta specialises in working with children with behavioural problems, from simple to severe. A regular media commentator, he has presented two television series adapted from his books: Beyond the Darklands (which screens in both New Zealand and Australia) and The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show.
Mothers Raising Sons
Hachette Australia
Author: Nigel Latta
ISBN: 9781869507848
Price: $27.99
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Mothers Raising Sons Interview with Nigel Latta
Are boys really noisier than girls?
Nigel Latta: When they are little they certainly give girls a run for their money. The key difference is that whilst girls can be noisy, they also do quiet, whereas little boys basically just do 'noisy' and 'asleep.'
As girl's age do they become noisier than boys?
Nigel Latta: Boys definitely have a tendency to talk a lot less when they hit the teenage years. Many resort to a kind of 'grunt' economy- grunt once for yes, twice for no. Girls tend to get more emotionally fiery during their teenage years and some of them do become noisy to the point of implosion.
Does the book provide examples of how to approach tough subjects like 'feelings'?
Nigel Latta: Absolutely. And it's not that tough. Basic thing about boys and feelings is they still have them, they just don't make quite as big a fuss about them as girls do.
How can you approach your son- when he doesn't want to talk?
Nigel Latta: You don't. You just wait. Sometimes you may have to wait a long time. It might pay to make a cup of tea and bring a book.
Have you used these own approaches with your own children?
Nigel Latta: Sure have, and with thousands of other boys and mums as well.
What made you decide to write this book?
Nigel Latta: Basically I got sick of shonky 'science' being used to justify outrageous claims about boys, I was tired of all the hype around the 'boy crisis', and most of all I got tired of good mums being made to feel like they weren't doing a good job, or couldn't do a good job, simply because they were mums. There is a lot of hoop-lah out there about boys and I just thought it was time a little reality found its way back onto the map. Mums aren't bad for boys and so I just thought someone should say that.