Struggling School-Age Boys
By Peg Tyre
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 8, 2008
Every other week it seems a new study comes out that adds to our already-formidable arsenal of parental worries. But even by those escalating standards, the report issued last week by the federal government's National Center for Health Statistics contained a jaw-dropper: the parents of nearly one of every five boys in the United States were concerned enough about what they saw as their sons' emotional or behavioral problems that they consulted a doctor or a health-care professional. By comparison, about one out of 10 parents of girls reported these kinds of problems. (See the study here.)
The report confirms what many of us have been observing for some time now: that lots of school-age boys are struggling. And, parents are intensely worried about them.
What is ailing our sons? Some experts suggest we are witnessing an epidemic of ADHD and say boys need more medication. Others say that environmental pollutants found in plastics, among other things, may be eroding their attention spans and their ability to regulate their emotions.
Those experts may be right but I have another suggestion. Let's examine the way our child rearing and our schools have evolved in the last 10 years. Then ask ourselves this challenging question: could some of those changes we have embraced in our families, our communities and our schools be driving our sons crazy?
Instead of unstructured free play, parents now schedule their kids' time from dawn till dusk (and sometimes beyond.)...
1 comment:
Ms. Larkins I have another theory how about schools trying to feminize boys?
How many male teacher role models do boys get in schools? How many boys come from broken homes? What is the divorce rate in our American society? These boys don’t have male role models or intact family to draw from. Should it be any surprise to us that these boys mental and emotions state and health are disintegrating?
Then we have schools that socially degrade and abuse boys like the ones in Vista Unified School District. When fathers stand up for their kids they are belittled and CPS is called to retaliate against the fathers. Vista Unified School District will retaliate against any parent who advocates for a quality education for their child.
With schools like Guajome Park Academy parent don’t just need doctors and therapists for their kids but the entire family as well. This school has the highest teacher and student drop out rate in the county of San Diego and possibly the state.
Guajome Park Academy is the worst school for a parents of male students.
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