As a mother of two young boys (age 5 and 2). I have been intrigued by recent conversations I have had with parents of teenagers and young men complaining about their unmotivated boys. Some are even perplexed in observing their daughters experiencing academic achievements while their boys are not. Some of it may be explained by natural differences that can occur in a family, and some of it is not.... as I have come to learn...I thought this was a fist world problem, until I talked to my dad in Kenya, who commented on observing a similar trend in Kenya.
I stumbled upon this book while doing some research, and I must say I am super thankful that I did.... now let me start by saying that I am not sure that all the factors discussed in this book would apply to all boys in evey part of the world, but I do think that as with anything, we can all pick up a thing or two that can inform us on things we can do to improve the odds that we raise children who are productive, motivated, independent adults...
Dr Sax mentions that the factors he has observed that contribute to the issue of unmotivated boys are:-
1. Changes at school
2. Video games
3. Medication for ADHD medication
4. Endocrine disruptors from environmental toxins (mainly chemicals found in plastic eg BPA, PVC)
5. Failure to launch - this is end result that we are now observing... boys who have grown up to be young adults who are unmotivated and content to remain at home without contributing significantly to the home or society ... would rather play video games all day vs get a job..
As I read the book, I will share my thoughts and application of the factors discussed ...
I really welcome input from readers in Kenya as I am curious as to whether these factors may be at play in Kenya.
Looking forward to getting on this journey.
