All About Boys with David Thomas: Boys and Friendships

In this episode, David describes the challenges that boys face while developing relationships with their peers. He addresses the social basics that boys often struggle with and provides milestones that boys have ideally grasped by a certain age. Using guidance from Are My Kids on Track?, he identifies the 4 social milestones boys need to move toward in their social development, while identifying the stumbling blocks and building blocks to getting there. He ends the episode by outlining 5 building blocks that will help boys succeed in friendships, and then gives parents 5 ways they can help their sons be better friends.

Show Notes:

4 Social Milestones:

  • Awareness
  • Reciprocity
  • Ownership
  • Boundaries

5 Common Stumbling Blocks for Boys in Relationship:

  • Lack of Awareness
  • Enthusiasm, Intelligence, and Adolescence
  • Missing the Bases
  • Screens
  • Competition

Building Blocks to Help Boys Succeed in Relationships:

  • Learning cues
  • Teaching reciprocity
  • Encouraging development
  • Studying the social interactions of others
  • Practicing/roleplaying social interactions

5 Ways Parents Can Help their Sons:

  • Fathers should model male friendship for their sons
  • Use role play to help connect the dots on reciprocity
  • Have teenage sons be apart of a small group where they are learning, listening, and serving
  • Put him in multiple activity groups– Scouts, sports teams, service groups, etc.
  • Quality over quantity when it comes to friendships

5 Social Basics for Kids to Get Down by Preschool Age:

  • Shaking hands with eye contact
  • Hello
  • Goodbye
  • Thank you
  • Please

Resources:
Are My Kids on Track?

Producer: Emily Heide