When I explain Kids Boost and talk about the age requirements, I often find myself saying the same thing… “Girls seem to be ready or more interested in completing a project at a younger age than boys.” The truth is that there is no science behind my comment… just something I have noticed. I know that scientific evidence does exist around the ways in which boys and girls differ in their development… but I won’t bore you with all of that at this moment. Really, my purpose in writing today is to share an article that my sister sent me about cultivating compassion in boys.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_steps_to_cultivating_compassion_in_boys
This article really resonated with me as a mom of a boy and from a Kids Boost perspective. The truth is that we can cultivate compassion in young boys, especially if we are purposeful in doing so. If you are a parent of a boy, an uncle, coach, teacher… well, if you have any influence in a young boy’s life… please take a minute to read this article. Kozo Hattori, the author of the article, encourages four things to do on a daily basis to encourage compassion in boys.
1. Hug your boys every day for no reason at all.
2. Let boys cry and allow them to talk through their emotions.
3. Be a role model.
4. Encourage silence and cultivate stillness.
Hattori expands on each of these and it’s worth the five minutes it will take to read the article in its entirety. To me, it was a wonderful reminder of the little things I can do to help encourage compassion in my own son.
So while there may always me a difference in the number of boys and girls who participate in Kids Boost, or differences in ages, I do think there are ways for us to further encourage our young boys to be compassionate, to be mindful of others and to give back to the world. Now go hug your boys!
