Happy New Year!!!

My resolution this year is to continue to be there for my boys in a greater way than just checking in on homework assignments daily.  And today we are talking about just that.
 
I met my guest, Amber Olsen, through Facebook several months ago.  Amber, is the founder of The Kaleidoscope Project, which is an organization helping to support the emotional development of girls.  As I learned more about what she is doing, it became more and more apparent that the same issue is not only relevant but essential for boys and that Amber would make an awesome guest.
 
I feel like more and more I am reading about how critical it is to support your son’s emotional development to the same extent, if not more, than you would support a girl.  The thing about boys is that they are constantly working against a societal expectation of being emotionless.  But boys, especially pre-teens, aren’t emotionless and navigating the highs and lows of life is a complex emotional roller coaster and requires parental support.
 
But here’s the thing about supporting your child.  There also has to been connection there.  If you want to be able to talk feelings, you need to be present in your son’s life for more than just nagging about homework.
 
How can we, as parents, connect with our boys and use that connection to facilitate emotional development and health? Tune in to find out.
 
Resources

* Article on 12 Year Old Boys Emotional Development
* The Mask You Live In, film on emotional pressures of boys now playing on Netflix
* Article on Ramifications of Social Media on Emotions
* The Five Love Languages

 
Timestamps

* New Year’s Resolutions (1:15)
* Why Emotions (5:25)
* Middle Schoolers Unique Emotional Needs (8:29)
* How emotions are being affected today (13:14)
* Social Media Pressures (15:04)
* You Are What You Take In (18:22)
* How can Parents Support Emotional Health (20:00)
* Introvert vs. Extrovert (23:08)
* Do you want me to Listen or do you want Feedback? (24:08)
* Connecting with Your Child (25:05)
* Checking-in Emotionally (30:00)
* How involved should you get? (31:13)
* Ways we can make sure our child is being acknowledged and heard (39:18)
* Hug It Back (42:02)
* Strategies for dealing with emotions (44:58)