Failing a Generation of American Boys

American Spectator ^ | 3.13.13 | ROSS KAMINSKY

[neverdem]

A pervasive anti-boy culture is wrecking our nation’s very future.

As I look at my 5-year old son, I hope that I am helping to mold a young man who lives his life with integrity and self-reliance, understanding the value of hard work and good manners and the true self-esteem that only these things can create within a productive life.

I think my wife and I are doing well, being conscious of these things, but as I look around us, what is happening — what has happened — to a generation of boys and young men in America is saddening and frightening.

About a month ago, my wife handed me a book and said “you really have to read this.” She sounded like she meant it, so I did. She was right.

The book is Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men, by Dr. Leonard Sax.

If you are the parent of a boy under the age of 18 or so, this book is a must read. Really… must read.

Dr. Sax describes and explains how changes in our educational system, such as removing competition and “zero tolerance” policies for even pretending to use fake guns, along with over-prescription of ADHD drugs and — a particularly damaging aspect of modern life — over-playing of video games are creating a generation of unmotivated, unaccomplished slackers...

[winodog]

I met a teacher who teaches teachers not children. She would not tell me everything but she teaches gender neutrality. Girls touch each other lovingly and brush each others hair and they want boys to do stuff like that as well so they play games that encourage that

[neverdem]

The video games thing could be an issue, but the rest of the problems he described can be dodged by homeschooling.

Unfortunately, homeschooling is a luxury that most can't afford, especially for those determined to keep up with the Joneses. Two breadwinners are needed in most of suburbia.