Listener Q & A: Supporting Sibling Relationships, Finding Common Ground & More

How do you support sibling relationships and build brother-sister bonds? Or connect with a tween son? Photo by Beatnik Photos via Flickr Those are just a few of the questions Jen & Janet tackle in 2023’s first listener Q & A. Matthew says:We have 3 boys (15, 17, & 19) and 3 girls (2, 9, & 13)…our boys are incredibly close, practically best friends, and our girls are similar. What can we do to bring the groups closer together? We have tried divide and conquer (mixing who runs errands with us and such), game nights, movie nights, outings…The girls are always more receptive, but the boys act like they’ve been plague-ridden to have to tolerate their sisters for more than a mealtime…Cheslea asks:What suggestions do you have for common interests with your boys? It feels like we have almost nothing in common…Britney wonders:Is it normal for the teen boy to push moms away during this time and cling to dads? while another Britney and Susan ask: Why is he such a butt head? Why do they know everything at the age of 16?!Karon asks:What steps should I take to monitor my 13-year-old’s online gaming?..I’d love tips/advice on keeping his gaming time in check.Kate wants to know:How can a 7 yr old have so much anger and attitude?Our answers to their questions might give you some insight into your own parenting challenges.

In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:Supporting sibling relationshipsBuilding brother-sister bondsHow time solves many parenting problemsConnecting w a tween son (whose interests differ from yours)Mother/son (and father/son) relationships during adolescenceSelf-care during your son’s teen yearsMonitoring online gamingBoys & angerTeen boysThe importance of connection, community, and mentors for parents of boys

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:Sibling Stress: How to Handle Bickering, Fighting, & More — ON BOYS episode Why You Need to Stop Focusing on Your Boys’ Bickering — BuildingBoys blog post Why Are Video Games So Important to Boys? — ON BOYS episode Video Game Addiction — ON BOYS episode Anger & Boys — ON BOYS episode The Truth About Parenting Teen Boys — BuildingBoys’ most popular post Moms Need Mentors Too — BuildingBoys blog post Why Boys Moms Need Mentors Too — ON BOYS episode

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