Raising Boys in the Twenty-first Century

With special guest:

• Steve Biddulph AM
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

It was hard enough to raise boys in the 20^th Century. What are the new challenges facing parents who want to raise their sons to be the open-hearted, kind and strong men they can be?

Our guest today has revised and updated his classic parenting book released in 1997, a book that is found in over three million homes around the world. There is a lot of new information and surprising research for Steve to draw on in his new book Raising Boys in the Twenty-first Century. There is a new understanding of hormonal changes as boys turn into men, changes that mean the age from 6 to 14 is when fathers count the most.

We know the world is in a lot of trouble and in many ways we have failed our boys. The suggestion from Steve to counter that failing is the most important part of his book and very simple. Dads or Dad figures simply need to spend some time, to just be around their boys particularly when they are between the ages of 6 and 14. Modelling is vitally important even if the role model doesn’t know he is doing it.

When boys are over 14 there are the challenges of potentially experiencing a “meltdown”. What do you do next? And the trauma of children learning to drive? Steve has practical tips to keep boys healthy and safe. This is the age when they desperately need caring mentors and adults in addition to their parents. If we get it right believe it or not puberty can be turned into a wonderful time for making better men.

Steve Biddulph has a winning style and presentation which has led to his speaking to over one hundred thousand people around the world in the last 40 years. You can now join this group by listening to Steve. This is a program dedicated to everyone who has to deal with a boy who is growing up, and not just taller. And it is always fun to hear Steve.

Steve Biddulph AM

Steve Biddulph is Australia’s best-known family therapist and parenting author. His books, including Raising Boys, Stories of Manhood, The New Manhood, The Secret of Happy Children and The Making of Love, are popular all over the world. Steve has worked with families for 40 years. He has changed the nature of boys’ education, brought a generation of fathers into hands-on engagement with their kids, and given mothers the confidence to love their sons and not be afraid of them. He has worked with schools in 17 countries and 130,000 parents have heard his unforgettable live talks.

Song selection by our guest: Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits

Listen Now (mp3)