The word active will always be linked with boys. Roughness is in their nature. They can spend six hours at the park, go home and still want to play video games. Reading seems like it’s never a part of their agenda. My husband and I often say raising our son is the perfect remedy for losing weight. He never lets us sit down. Other parents have said to me that their sons are non-stop, they don’t listen, and it’s impossible to get them to read. My response is, “Boys operate differently than girls; it’s never too late and be patient with them.”
Boys will be boys but eventually they will turn into men. Our boys need our help. As parents, it’s our job to be there for them. They don’t need to constantly hear us YELLING at them for every wrong thing they do. Boys get discourage and need reassurance that they can do anything they put their mind to.
We need to read to them as much as they need to read to us. How can we get our boys to read if they never see us pick up a book, magazine or anything that words are attached to? How do we expect for them to become fluent readers if we don’t lead by example? Family literacy is crucial in America. As parents, we should be accountable for our actions and if we’re struggling, then we need to ask for help so we can help our children. We need to make sure a cycle of non-readers doesn’t continue. I ask that you try different reading tactics to encourage reading. I had to write my own articles just to make it fun for my son to get excited. He started to read more because I was the author.
Our boys need positive role models whether it’s a man or a woman. If they have a loving environment at home, spoken to using positive words, and we pay attention to their schooling, these types of images can set the tone for a successful reader and improve a struggling one. I have all the girl power in the world, but please: “Don’t Forget Our Boys!”
