Talk To Your Boys
16 Conversations to Help Tweens and Teens
Grow into Confident, Caring Young Men
By Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper
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“Talk to Your Boys is a game-changing guide that tackles one of the most pressing challenges of parenting today: how to talk with boys about the things that matter most. From emotions and friendships to screen time and sex, this book doesn’t just explain why we need to have these conversations—it shows us how. Filled with practical, research-backed strategies and smart, actionable scripts, Talk to Your Boys makes it clear that connecting with the boys in our lives is not only possible, but essential. This book is required reading for anyone who cares about raising boys to thrive emotionally, build strong relationships, and grow into healthy, whole adults.”
ー Lisa Damour, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
Boys need our help.
And it all starts with a conversation.
From bad grades and declining college enrollment to rising rates of depression and loneliness, boys are struggling-and many are unable to articulate why or ask for help. Now, in this deeply practical and approachable book, parents have a lifesaving tool to help them reach their tween or teen boy about tough topics and guide him on a path to becoming a caring, connected, and confident young man.
Packed with helpful advice, scripts, and more, Talk to Your Boys shows how to have conversations about 16 essential topics, starting with the most important of all— communication.
Whether it's a tendency or expectation, boys too often keep their feelings to themselves, which can have devastating consequences. Here is an in-depth guide for moving past the false "adolescent boys don't want to talk" narrative and get them to really open up. There are tips-"Don't interrupt, inquire." Strategies-why to have a conversation while moving (tossing a ball, going for a walk) instead of eye to eye, which can cause a kid to shut down.
And all the subtle signals that your son is ready to talk.
The book addresses the significant challenges young men face today: bullying, screen time, sex, substance use, and more.
For each subject, there are talking points, self-assessments, insights from leading ex-perts, and perspectives from dozens of boys themselves, in their own words.
Given the years it covers and the importance of its issues, the depth of its guid-ance, and insights offered, Talk to Your Boys is the kind of invaluable book parents will want-and need to turn to again and again.
Praise for Talk To Your Boys
"It’s no secret that boys are struggling these days. The old model of stoic masculinity - teaching boys to cut off from their feelings, from vulnerability, from others - does not serve them. But what does? Research is clear - connection does.
Talk to Your Boys is more than a superb help for parents - it is a call to action. Using tips, sample scripts and practical tools, Schroeder and Pepper empower parents to go beyond one word responses to real conversation. How to listen to our sons and lead them toward wholeness and health. In these difficult times, they offer clarity, warmth, and true guidance. A much-needed addition."
— TERRENCE REAL, bestselling author of Us and founder of Relational Life Institute
"A powerful, detailed, and supportive book to help us raise confident, caring, and connected boys in a world that often compels them to abandon themselves.”
— ELI HARWOOD (aka @attachmentnerd), therapist and bestselling author of Raising Securely Attached Kids
"Parenting boys in this moment can feel like navigating a cultural minefield. Talk to Your Boys offers the clarity and compassion parents desperately need. It's a pragmatic guide I wish I'd had years ago—and one I'll be turning to again and again."
— MELINDA WENNER MOYER, author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes and Hello, Cruel World
"Talk to Your Boys is the book I wish every parent, teacher, and therapist had on their shelf. Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper offer a compassionate, practical guide for raising boys who are emotionally aware, connected, and resilient. Grounded in research and rich with real-world tools, this book helps adults foster the kind of secure relationships boys need to thrive. A vital resource for anyone who cares about the future of our sons."
— STAN TATKIN, PsyD, MFT, author of Wired for Love and In Each Other’s Care
"Talk to Your Boys is an essential guide to the new conversations parents must have with their sons to help them remain connected, compassionate, and clear-headed in a world that tells them (over and over) that 'real men' are the opposite. Take a deep breath. Dive in. This is the book you've been waiting for."
— PEGGY ORENSTEIN, bestselling author of Boys & Sex and Girls & Sex
Meet The Authors
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Joanna Schroeder
is a writer, editor, and media critic known for her bold perspectives on parenting issues. She has been published in The New York Times, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and The Boston Globe, and has appeared on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Anderson Cooper 360°, CBS News, PBS, NPR, and the BBC. She served as executive editor of The Good Men Project and managing editor of the Experts Division of Your Tango. She is the mother of two sons and a daughter.
LinkedIn | X | Instagram | TikTok | Threads | Substack | Bluesky -
Christopher Pepper
is an award-winning health teacher whose lesson plans are used in schools around the world. He coordinates the Young Men's Health Groups in San Francisco public middle and high schools, which bring boys together to talk about their lives, masculinity, emotions, and relationships. He's been published in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and ParentData, and has appeared in USA Today, Mother Jones, Vox, and on NPR. He's the father of two boys and has been a foster parent.
Website | LinkedIn | X | Instagram I Substack | Threads | Bluesky
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