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...
4. Don’t worry about raising a Mama’s Boy; it’s maybe at those exact moments where moms have been told to let their sons go that the sons need them the most.
5. Want to dance like Liz Lemon? Of course you do! Tina Fey shows you how: Read more...
