What are our preconceived ideas about boys and are ANY of them true?

Maggie Dent has a strong opinion on this subject.

She’s an author, educator and parenting specialist with four sons of her own. Speaking to Kinderling Conversation, Maggie says there are some big myths when it comes to boys and how to raise them.

Here are the big four: 

1. Boys don’t cry

“This one is really a pile of poop to be really honest!” says Maggie. “What we do know is that boys do and need to cry. The worst thing an adult can say to a child boy is: “Stop crying or go and sit in the corner till you stop crying.” Crying is an expression of vulnerable feeling and gets shut down in boys really quickly. I’ve met men with enormous amounts of grief that has never been processed that has turned into anger or depression or aggression. We must be careful that boys never hear that message.

2. Boys don’t feel

“Boys feel just as intensely as girls and women, but according to Maggie they don’t always know how to recognise or name what they are feeling. “Often boys will have to go away and process what is going on. And it takes them a while to work out is that hurt or sadness or anger? The tendency for boys is to feel they can’t express any other feelings so they just turn to anger.”

As parents we need to focus on helping boys name their feelings.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to be OK with expressing your own emotions in front of your kids. “It’s OK as a parent to cry in front of your kids,” says Maggie. “If we are not honest about our emotions in front our children and feeling sad and not brushing it away. You can say, Mummy is feeling overwhelmed right now with everything going on, so if you could give me a hug that would be great.  That’s called teaching emotional literacy.”

Maggie says boys don’t just watch their dads for emotional cues, they are also watching their mums and everyone else around them. “It’s important to teach them that it’s OK when we get sad with really big things. And when you’re vulnerable, you’re not wrong and you’re not “bad”. When men feel worthless they think it’s better that they leave. We need to help undo this pattern, and gradual emotional coaching from birth to seven will get us there.”

Listen to Maggie Dent on Kinderling Conversation: 

3. Boys don’t play with dolls or dress ups

Gender differences are fluid but there are certainly things we can identify early on, according to Maggie. “Studies show baby girls under six months of age, will focus on a face when someone speaks to them from the cot, whereas the boy baby will focus on the mobile.”

Maggie says it’s important that dolls and dress-ups are offered as an opportunity in a ‘fun’ context – but adults need to watch their reactions. “As soon as they get the slightest frown they will shut it down and not do it. They really do pick up on mixed messages early on. Be careful of those little frowns and scowls, because they are very sensitive and looking for confirmation about ‘Am I OK? Is this what boys are meant to do?’"

4. Is rough and tumble their default setting?

It’s a complete myth. You have to look at temperament – it’s the rooster temperament. And that can be in boys and girls and it’s where they are trying to work out where the boundaries are.  That kind of play is also an expression of freedom, so we need to create a safe environment to play, with very few rules. The authentic autonomy of children needs to be developed, because unfortunately, and from a great place of love, many parents over-orchestrate their children's lives. You need to give children choices and opportunities for free play, to build things and pull them apart. It's about creating opportunities where they don't always have to be neat and tidy."