Do you often ponder 'The Way of Boys?'

Whether you have a daughter or son, chances are likely that if you are a parent, you have been engaged in a conversation about the differences between raising girls versus raising boys. Maybe you have a son who does not fall into the classic characterization of being more physically active and perhaps your daughter does not like to sit and color. Still, there are notable differences and many of us who are raising boys worry about how we can best channel their 'energy' and how they will be perceived in school. As a former teacher, I found that little boys performed better and sustained attention longer when they were physically engaged through kinesthetic learning. Alternately, I noticed that certain, more 'traditional' classrooms did not serve boys as well. Now that I am a mother to a son and daughter whose personalities fall into stereotypical gender categories, I am grasping for ways to nurture my son's potential when the things that came naturally to me and were effective for my daughter are not working! Thankfully, Parent Talk is offering an expert speaker, Dr. Anthony Rao, who will address a sold-out audience on 'The Way of Boys.' 

Dr. Rao (pronounced RAY-OH) is a psychologist who worked in the Department of Psychiatry at Children's Hospital in Boston (see below for his full bio.) He has held numerous interviews and has been published by many prominent publications for articles addressing the challenges of educating boys. Dr. Rao had this to say about his upcoming lecture:

What are the important trends facing boys in today's fast-paced, highly-competitive world? Many boys are struggling and we've turned mostly to medications for help. What if we're missing something basic. When we understand how boys develop - how boys think and navigate in the world - we start to see their hidden talents and gifts. Join me for a candid and upbeat discussion on raising and educating boys successfully. Let's help boys feel more confident and find their power in positive ways.

If you are not one of the many people who registered for this lecture, you can also order Dr. Rao's book, "The Way of Boys." I think this would be a great selection for a book club discussion. If you are interested in reading and discussing the book, please write in the comments after this blog! If you choose to order Dr. Rao's book, please click here and enter Parent Talk as your charity of choice.

Bio for Dr. Anthony Rao (note: pronounced Ray-Oh)_

For over 20 years, Dr. Rao worked in the Department of Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Boston where he served as Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He’s been a featured expert in documentaries for the A&E series Investigative Reports and MTV’s True Life. He regularly appears on news segments pertaining to childhood issues and most recently was featured on Chronicle to discuss challenges educating boys. He’s been interviewed for articles in many publications including The NewYorker, Parent's Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Times.

Who wrote this blog?

Liza d'Hemecourt is the Blog Coordinator for Parent Talk. She lives in Needham with her husband and her daughter and son, who are nearly three and nearly two years old respectively. Liza went to Boston College for theater and education. She performed in community theater and taught Kindergarten and first grade before having children.