Jennifer provides wrap-around support to families of boys, including free resources you can access when (and whenever!) you need them.
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Building Boys Bulletin gives you the facts, encouragement, and inspiration you need to help boys thrive. It includes:
Choose the FREE or PAID version. Paid subscribers get a weekly Building Boys Bulletin (it’ll be in your inbox each Monday), full access to the archives, and insider info re all Building Boys’ offerings. Subscribers who select the free plan will receive approximately one Building Boys Bulletin each month.
You are not alone!
Since 2016, Building Boys Facebook group has been a haven (and safety net) for families around the world. It’s a safe, supportive place to share and ask questions.
Join Facebook Group →
Jennifer and Janet Allison launched ON BOYS parenting podcast in 2018.
New episodes release each Thursday, and there’s a treasure trove of pre-existing content, including conversations with Steve Biddulph, Mona Delahooke, Michael Gurian, Sue Atkins, Michael Reichert, and more.
Jennifer loves discussing her books with other parents!
She is available for in-person or virtual book club visits/ Q & A sessions with groups that have purchased copies of Building Boys: Raising Great Guys In a World That Misunderstands Males or The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys: Practical Advice for Your Son’s Formative Years.
Jennifer is also available for author talks at schools, churches, libraries, and other locations.
Boys are an essential – and often overlooked – part of our communities. When their energy, vitality, and talents are welcome and valued, boys contribute to the well-being of our communities. Jennifer can help religious organizations, youth groups, clubs, and businesses connect with boys.
Ready to get started?
Jennifer can also:
Stay up to date with Jennifer’s information-packed newsletter.
Choose the FREE or PAID version.
Paid subscribers get a weekly Building Boys Bulletin, full access to the archives, and insider info re all Building Boys’ offerings. Subscribers who select the free plan will receive approximately one Building Boys Bulletin each month.
Use the search tool to find posts about physical and mental health; sports, hobbies, and extracurricular activities; safety; and more.
Or start with our most popular post, The Truth About Teen Boys.
New episodes release each Thursday, and there’s a treasure trove of pre-existing content, including conversations with Steve Biddulph, Mona Delahooke, Michael Gurian, Sue Atkins, Michael Reichert, and more.
Jennifer is available author talks, book signings, and in-person or virtual book club visits, Q & A sessions, or book studies with groups that have purchased copies of Building Boys: Raising Great Guys In a World That Misunderstands Males or The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys: Practical Advice for Your Son’s Formative Years.
Boys need support to thrive in school – and educators and schools need help to support boys!
In most schools, boys account for the bulk of disciplinary referrals and failing grades. Dedicating resources toward boosting boys’ outcomes can dramatically improve a school’s culture and academic performance. Jennifer is available to work with educators, administrators, and school communities.
As a journalist, Jennifer produced dozens of award-winning articles that help educators and administrators serve students. She is up to date on educational trends and legislation and deepened her understanding of the challenges facing schools while serving on her local school board during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer tailors her talks and interactive workshops to the specific needs of each school community.
When parents understand how to meet boys’ needs, boys come to school ready to learn. Because Jennifer is a parent of boys (and has experience with public education, private schools, and homeschooling), she has a deep and intimate knowledge of the frustrations of families of boys. With empathy and compassion, Jennifer offers actionable tips parents can use to fuel boys’ curiosity, boost their motivation, and support their academic performance.
Jennifer is also available for in-person or virtual book club visits/ Q & A sessions with groups that have purchased copies of Building Boys: Raising Great Guys In a World That Misunderstands Males or The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys: Practical Advice for Your Son’s Formative Years.
Not sure where to start? Jennifer will help you pinpoint areas to address in order to effect measurable change.
Jennifer has learned a lot from these books, websites, podcasts, and organizations, and you can too.
The Last Boys Picked: Helping Boys Who Don’t Play Sports Survive Bullies & Boyhood, by Janet Sasson Edgette, PsyD, with Beth Margolis Rupp, MA
From Boys to Men: Guiding Our Teen Boys to Grow Into Happy, Healthy Men, by Maggie Dent
Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons, by Cara Natterson, MD
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Our Boys, by Michael Thompson & Dan Kindlon
It’s a Boy!: Your Son’s Development From Birth Through Age 18, by Michael Thompson & Teresa Barker
The Purpose of Boys: Helping Our Sons Find Meaning, Significance, and Direction in Their Lives, by Michael Gurian
The Wonder of Boys, by Michael Gurian
Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men, by Leonard Sax
To Raise a Boy: Classrooms, Locker Rooms, Bedrooms, and the Hidden Struggles of American Boyhood, by Emma Brown
Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, by Richard V. Reeves
Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21 st Century Teen Boy, by Andrew P. Smiler, PhD
Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, by Stephen James and David S. Thomas
The Mama’s Boy Myth: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger, by Kate Stone Lombardi
Writing the Playbook: A Practitioner’s Guide for Creating a Boy-Friendly School, by Kelley King
Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World, by Rosalind Wiseman
Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues, by Nancy Peske and Lindsey Biel
Global Initiative for Boys & Men. Collates and supports research to inform policymakers, educators, and parents about issues affecting boys to improve outcomes collaboratively.
The Boy Crisis is a deeper dig into Warren Farrell’s 2018 book, The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It. (John Gray, of Mars & Venus fame, is a co-author.)
The Boys Initiative is a national campaign to promote boys’ achievement and health. Their website includes a ton of useful information – facts and figures about boys and how they’re doing, an online library of articles and some interesting webcasts. The Boys Initiative also releases a weekly roundup of news stories about boys.
Becoming a Man. Youth Guidance’s B.A.M. (Becoming a Man™) – Sports Edition program is school-based counseling, mentoring, violence prevention and educational enrichment program that works with at-risk males in some of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods – and their outcomes have been amazing so far. A 2012 study shows that B.A.M. participants are more likely to graduate high school and less likely to be involved in a violent crime.
Build Up Boys. A nonprofit that’s developed an evidence-based curriculum that uses play, theater, movement, writing, and storytelling exercises to help boys develop social, emotional, and relationship learning skills to combat gender pressure.
Next Gen Men. A Canadian nonprofit that offers an online course for parents and educators of boys, as well as an online community for boys in grades seven through nine.
The Good Men Project addresses the question, “What does it mean to be a good man?” If you’re building boys, this is a site worth checking out. There are lots of articles that talk about parenting and education and gender – and new content is posted daily.
The Gurian Institute. Michael Gurian has written many books about boys. The Gurian Institute is an outgrowth of his efforts. It provides information to help parents and educators better understand how boys learn and function.
Proposal for a White House Council on Boys & Men. Did you know that there’s a White House Council on Girls & Women, but no council on boys and men? In 2010, a group of leading authors, academics and activists drafted a proposal for a White House Council on Boys & Men; the intent of the proposed Council is to draw attention to and develop solutions to the problems faced by boys & young men. This website contains the full text of the proposal, information about the Boy Crisis, and a petition you can sign to show your support for the development of a White House Council on Boys & Men.
A Call to Men. This organization’s Live Respect curriculum promotes healthy, respectful manhood and helps build young men of character.
American Institute for Boys and Men. Founded by Of Boys & Men author Richard V. Reeves in 2023 and is dedicated to understanding and improving the lives of boys and men. [no link available yet]
You can purchase the newest book from Building Boys at the following websites:
