Bunchland

This article originally published in The Grid

When golfer Bubba Watson burst into tears and hugged his mom after winning his first Masters tournament, he inspired a slew of editorials about when and whether it was okay for men to cry. What year is this? Stereotypically, mama’s boys have a bad rap, likened to maladjusted Norman Bates types or weaklings. We have a problem with this. And so does Kate Stone Lombardi, whose new book, The Mama’s Boy Myth, documents how boys with close relationships to their mothers have a higher emotional intelligence and better mental health than those who don’t.

So set aside an hour or so for mother-son QT. Some suggestions: Take your boy to a side-by-side art class, have a good chat over hot chocolate at a family friendly café, or go on a hike. Teach them that real men cry, do housework, and share how they’re feeling, and they’ll never be too old to seek comfort from their moms. Oh, and the new generation of mama’s boys has nothing to do with that new TLC show, Mama’s Boys of the Bronx. Those are just man-children who don’t want to do their own cooking and laundry.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Homeschooled and illiterate. Sure, some parents make great teachers and some home-schooled or unschooled kids take their educational freedom and really blossom into intelligent and caring adults, but some parents can’t homeschool and end up with 11-year-olds who can’t read or do more than basic math.

2. Friendships are really important for tweens and teens, as a close friend makes it easily to handle tough stuff and makes one less likely to be bullied.  Here are some friendship tips for boys.

3. Should we make classic fairy tales less scary for our kids? We’re not about to take our elementary school kids to see the Hunger Games, but kids are a lot stronger than we sometimes give them credit for.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Teenage boys need close male friendships. “The boys are aware of the power of their relationships. They are overtly saying, ‘I want him, I need him, I miss him — no homo!’ And then they grow up and become depressed.”

2. Those of us that use sperm donors to procreate — what exactly are we looking for from a donor?

3. Speaking of using modern technology to make babies, a Brazilian woman is about to give birth to her first child at age 61.

4. Did you hear about the California dad who decided to see how long he could survive on breastmilk his wife had pumped? A Montreal mom made the connection between this dad and a mom of quadruplets who was definitely in need of an extra supply.  Read more...

What we’re reading on the blogs today:

How cold is too cold? Parentcentral.ca looks at schools and school boards that are holding recess indoors when the temperature dips below -25 C. At what point do you say no to outdoor activities?

Sydney Loney at the Globe and Mail says that more Canadians are choosing to live in multi-generational homes. Have you moved in with your parents or in-laws?

Continuing with our kale obsession, we’re itching to try out these kale chips from Stay-at-Stove-Dad. Kale leaves + lime juice + parmesan? Who knew.

Raising both a boy and a girl? (or boys and girls) Check out the wise words on raising boys that Good Men Project co-founder Tom Matlack shared with Babble. It *is* pretty magical when an super-active kid with seemingly endless amounts of energy will cuddle up to you at bedtime to read a story.  Read more...