Prizing a male child, although seemingly an old fashioned notion, is still widespread.... This strong desire for boys in the famil...y translates into a difference in fathering. Studies show that men play with boy babies more than girl babies and in general are more involved with their families if they have at least one son. Marriages, on average, last longer if there is a son. Even divorced fathers tend to see their sons more than their daughters (at least until adolescence).LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
There is an anecdote passed around in psychoanalytical circles, about a boy who for no apparent reason reached the age of six with...out ever speaking. One night he suddenly said, "Please pass the mashed potatoes." The boy had never spoken before because his mother had always met every one of his needs without him saying a word. This is the epitome of the too good mother.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
We're not always aware of subliminal messages we send, like "Big boys don't cry" or "Stop whining," which is a reflection of socie...ty's credo that men should not show their emotions. Boys and men are not inherently less emotional than women; they are taught to be that way, which means that mothers and fathers have an important responsibility in raising sons who are aware of their emotions.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The good mother knows that frustration teaches tolerance and that instant gratification is not always best; the too good mother me...ets all of her son's needs instantly. The good enough mother knows that a son needs to have ownership of his actions. She stands on the sidelines and cheers him on but lets him run past her in the race. The too good mother keeps her child from becoming independent; she mothers in a way that benefits herself, not her son.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an ou...tstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »