Why It’s Important to Normalize Sensitivity in Boys as a Good Thing

Slogans proclaiming “Strong is the new pretty” and “The future is female” cover the T-shirts and notebooks I buy my daughters. Toy stores are brimming with books about “little feminists.” There is no doubt that, after far too long, American girls are empowered to embrace the characteristics stereotypically reserved for boys: strength, power, assertiveness. But the corollary has not happened for our sons. When boys exhibit qualities stereotypically reserved for girls—sensitivity, care, compassion—they are often undervalued or, worse, mocked. Boys who show emotion other than strength could face ridicule. It’s past time that we all learn to embrace, and even… Read Full Article