August 29, 2019

Why Boy Moms Need Mentors Too

21 minutes

Google "boy mentors" and you'll get more than 20,000,000 results. Search for "mentors for boy moms" and you'll get just over 900,000 results -- and most are resources to help single moms find male mentors for their sons.You'll find next-to-nothing about how to find a mentor for yourself.

But moms need mentors too.

When Jen & Janet met recently (for the first time! at a podcast conference), they heard a talk about the importance of female mentors. The presenter, Robyn Sayles, pointed out the dearth of female mentors in movies, books and real life. Luke Skywalker had Obi Wan Kenobi & Yoda to guide him and encourage him; they shared with him crucial information and skills that helped him complete his mission. Without their help, would Luke have managed to inspire and lead the Rebels?

Here at ON BOYS, we talk a lot about boys. But we know that many (if not most) of our listeners are women. We know that many of you are facing challenges in your parenting and that you'd love an Obi Wan to help you through this parenting journey. We realized that boy moms, in particular, need mentors.

According to the dictionary, a mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor. We hope we've earned your trust and we want to continue serving you as experienced advisors. But we also encourage you to reach out to other "boy moms," both locally and globally. Connect with a mom whose boys are just a bit older than yours; she can help you put your current challenges in perspective and share tips and tricks that have (and have not!) worked for her. Reach out to a mom with younger boys too; no matter how young your boys are, there's another mom out there with younger boys who feels even more inexperienced and lost than you do.

When we parent alone & in isolation, we all hurt. When we share our knowledge & strength, we all win.

In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:

* How a lack of mentorship harms moms & families

* The benefits of mentoring -- to both the mentee & mentor

* How to find an effective mentor

* Why it's hard for moms to accept (and ask for) help

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Mommy Mentor: Why Every Mom Needs One -- 2013 article from Today's Parent

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