What are the long-term effects of discouraging caring relationships among boys?
From Marie, in response to Why Do We Murder the Beautiful Friendships of Boys?:
As a single mom of a tween son, I appreciate this article so much. I have tried my best to encourage my son in his friendships with other boys, to delay that plunge into ‘going out’ with girls (even if that means just sitting together in the cafeteria, away from other friends). As I read this, I can’t help but wonder if that shutting down of platonic emotion that is forced upon boys, ostensibly to free them up for romantic emotion, does exactly the opposite. I find it hard to believe that men will have an easy time opening up emotionally with a partner if they were forced to shut themselves down emotionally at such a crucial time in their lives. Stoicism isn’t something that is turned off and on with a switch, nor would I think emotional intimacy to be something that can be compartmentalized so that it’s wholly healthy in some relationships and absent in others.
Photo: Nithi Anand/Flickr