Boys of Few Words: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect

Boys of Few Words: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect
By Adam J. Cox PhD
Number Of Pages: 337
Publication Date: 2005-12-23
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1593852088
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781593852085



When your son responds to personal questions with a blank stare, or quickly changes the topic, you might chalk it up to "boys will be boys" - but still worry that something is missing in your relationship or troubling your child. You could be right on both counts. Whether your son needs to talk more, or just more effectively, this practical book will help you raise him to communicate and connect. Psychologist Adam Cox helps boys of all ages and their parents work together to overcome the innate brain differences, social pressures, guardedness, and learning and attention problems that often leave males at a communication disadvantage. With Dr. Cox's expert guidance, you can identify the camouflage boys use to deflect attention and learn useful ways to foster self-expression--from engaging preschoolers in imaginative wordplay to using creative conversation starters with sullen teenagers.

From the book prologue:
This is a book about the psychology of boys. It has grown out of my clinical work with boys between the age of four and late adolescence over the past decade. I wrote it for parents who want to have a close and loving relationship with their sons and who want to deeply know their minds and hearts. My aim has been to give you a road map to help your son forge healthy relationships, without fear or limitations.
The boys we’ll discuss are a diverse group, characterized by communication challenges that threaten to limit their social and emotional development. Most struggle to find the words they need to define their feelings and thoughts and, as a result, miss important opportunities to participate in all that life has to offer. I refer to them as “boys of few words,” a reference to the expression “man of few words,” so often used to describe someone who expresses himself through actions more easily than language or who may be known for his stoic reserve. The question to consider—at the very heart of this book—is whether this type of social disposition is a viable approach to living a successful life in the twenty-first century. Because this concern is so important, we’ll explore how to make meaningful differences in our sons’ lives and how we can help them become men capable of being “strong” in multiple ways.