The vast majority of violence in all forms is perpetrated by men (against women, other men, queer folks, children, etc.). In order to stop cycles of violence, we need to challenge toxic masculinity and expectations of manhood that discourage emotionality, empathy, communication, cooperation, and so many other productive characteristics. This is may seem easier said than done, but thanks to the organization Books for Littles, we have resources to help us start this work at an early age.
In this featured article, not only do they highlight six common mistakes made by parents that perpetuate toxic masculinity in their sons, they also provide a list of age-appropriate books to help teach formative concepts to kids.
Featured in the article are the following six mistakes:
- Believing our perfect sons are incapable of bad choices
- Equating ‘politeness’ with ‘respect’
- We keep going when they say ‘stop’
- Because I say so
- Creating loopholes
- We stay silent when things feel off
For the full description of these mistakes, ways to avoid them, and extensive list of books to teach consent, empathy, and healthy masculinities, check out the original post from Books For Littles.
– Brett Goldberg
