School for *BOYS*?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I too find it offensive that here we are in the 21st century and moms are describing their sons as 100% ALL BOY. How about you just let them develop as they will and stop stereotyping them. We get the idea -- they like to run, hit balls, hit people, etc. and may not like to sit still in class. Too many teachers cut them slack and make girls with those testerone type traits sit in the corner when they want to show some of their "boy" tendencies.

I don't get where this thread is going. I thought OP's question was a harmless one... what schools are best for boys who seem to display the stereotypical "boy" characteristic. (when they grow older, you'd call them a "man's man").

What's the big deal with this? Or, are we having a shadow conversation here about gay rights or something that I'm just missing???

Every man that I have met who was described as a "man's man" was actually a sexist asshole. IMO "100% BOY" is the label parents use on their son that has not been taught respect or to recognize boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Every man that I have met who was described as a "man's man" was actually a sexist asshole. IMO "100% BOY" is the label parents use on their son that has not been taught respect or to recognize boundaries.

Yes! THANK you.

and the 100% BOY'S BOYs are always "active," have you noticed that as well? Being in top physical shape and enjoying soccer at age 6 has absolutely nothing to do with following directions during reading workshop. Yet the moms of these "active" "high energy" BOYS never quite see that when asking which school is going to be best? for their "active" BOYS.

Running fast and raising your hand aren't mutually exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:45, I actually happen to be a dad with sons who are plenty athletic and into trucks and cars, mud, etc, and my first post in this thread was at 20:41. (My wife pointed out this thread to me because she couldn't stop laughing about the too-precious moms who couldn't stop fawning over their ALL BOY sons.) So obviously there are quite a few people who think this whole thing is absurd.

Believe me, fathers do not think about, or talk about, their sons in this way. You ladies are pathetic. It is sad how you are thinking about and pigeon-holing your sons.

What in the world??? I used the expression in my post and I am not fawning. In fact, I often don't really get my son. He is that different from me. However, I see his behavior and interests as very stereotypical boy. I think we all know what that means. I am not pathetic, in fact, I might wish for my son to have less of these stereotypical features, but you deal with the hand you are dealt. If you met me, I don't think the term "precious" would come to mind. Now, my son might up and surprise me someday and be into the arts and I would be thrilled. He is free to be who he is, and that includes very darn near the "boy" stereotype in this society. I will love him beyond love anyway.

[Anonymous]

11:42 and 11:47 That's not a fair characterization. That's very negative stereotyping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Every man that I have met who was described as a "man's man" was actually a sexist asshole. IMO "100% BOY" is the label parents use on their son that has not been taught respect or to recognize boundaries.

Yes! THANK you.

and the 100% BOY'S BOYs are always "active," have you noticed that as well? Being in top physical shape and enjoying soccer at age 6 has absolutely nothing to do with following directions during reading workshop. Yet the moms of these "active" "high energy" BOYS never quite see that when asking which school is going to be best? for their "active" BOYS.

Running fast and raising your hand aren't mutually exclusive.

This chain obviously has hit a nerve for some folks, but the discussion seems to be veering far, far afield from its initial topic. Here's what OP actually said:

His attention span is pretty long, especially for a boy, but he also needs to run and jump and be loud at regular intervals. Where should we be looking (ideally in DC proper) for a good fit with a high energy (but not at all disruptive, provided he gets to burn off some energy in recess/PE/etc. every couple of hours) BOY?

I don't think she was looking to start a flame war (or that she was deserving of being flamed). She wants to know which elementary schools have lots of PE and recess (and presumably don't take those things away as punishment). Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

pp -- people read things differently & unless you wrote it -- how do you know what her intentions were? When I read her post -- I read a lot of stereotypes weaved into a sentence including her CAPS on 'BOYS'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:pp -- people read things differently & unless you wrote it -- how do you know what her intentions were? When I read her post -- I read a lot of stereotypes weaved into a sentence including her CAPS on 'BOYS'

So what information do you think she's requesting?

[Anonymous]

My active 3 year old boy is at St. Pat's and loves it!

[Anonymous]

Wow, we don't see all this outrage in the hundreds of posts where parents refer to their DDs as "girlie-girls"!

[Anonymous]

PP -- because girls don't rule the world. If women are raising their boys to think they should get special recess and accomodations because they are "BOYS" -- then all of the girls are in big trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP -- because girls don't rule the world. If women are raising their boys to think they should get special recess and accomodations because they are "BOYS" -- then all of the girls are in big trouble.

Girls plainly rule all aspects of the preK-12 academic world, and it shows (and self-perpetuates) in the typical modern school day. If I had a son, I'd sure want to know where they still had PE and recess these days.

[Anonymous]

pp -- you're in dreamland. Girls need recess and PE too...stop your 1950s stereotyping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:pp -- you're in dreamland. Girls need recess and PE too...stop your 1950s stereotyping.

That might be the most intentionally dense post on a board full of them. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

There's a great article in the current Elle Magazine about Gender Dissatisfaction by Ruth Shalit Barrett. She wrote that more women in the US actually now prefer girls and that boys are 'defective girls' to go to the post that girls rule in school.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who is interested in the issues raised in this thread should read "Raising Cain" if they have not already.