Boys of Few Words Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect

When parents feel separated from their sons by a curtain of silence or a wall of resistance, they're right to be concerned.

When your son responds to personal questions with a blank stare, or quickly changes the topic, you might chalk it up to “boys will be boys”--but still worry that something is missing in your relationship or troubling your child. You could be right on both counts. Whether your son needs to talk more, or just more effectively, this practical book will help you raise him to communicate and connect. Psychologist Adam Cox helps boys of all ages and their parents work together to overcome the innate brain differences, social pressures, guardedness, and learning and attention problems that often leave males at a communication disadvantage. With Dr. Cox's expert guidance, you can identify the camouflage boys use to deflect attention and learn useful ways to foster self-expression--from engaging preschoolers in imaginative wordplay to using creative conversation starters with sullen teenagers.

PrologueI. The Communication Divide1. Is Your Son a Boy of Few Words?2. Why Words Matter3. Why Doesn't He Talk to Me?4. Without Words for EmotionII. Especially Challenging Boys5. Encouraging Shy and Withdrawn Boys6. Reducing the Resistance of Angry and Antisocial Boys7. Navigating the Challenges of Learning and Attention ProblemsIII. How to Make Lasting Differences8. Ten Commitments to Boys' Communication9. Leading Boys across the Divide: Building Bridges to Social Communication10. Working with Schools11. When Professional Help Makes SenseEpilogue. The Men They Will BecomeHelpful ResourcesBibliography

Adam J. Cox, PhD, is a board-certified clinical psychologist who directs a private group practice focusing on children's mental health and emotional well-being, with a special emphasis on emotional literacy, learning disabilities, and ADHD. Dr. Cox became a psychologist through a nontraditional path. As an artist in Hoboken, New Jersey, he opened his studio doors to neighborhood children, many of whom he taught painting and drawing. The mentoring experience prompted him to enter graduate studies in counseling psychology, and subsequently to become a national advocate for children's mental health. Dr. Cox has been quoted in Time magazine and Family Circle, and he has appeared on national parenting and family radio programs, including NPR's Voices in the Family.