William Pollack Quotations

Research shows, ... that while mothers tend to soothe their children and shield them from too much stimulation, the average father is inclined to arouse the emotions and stimulate a boy, playing with him zestfully and 'jazzing' him up. ? That roughhousing between father and son that may make mom cringe is actually the rudimentary beginning of a boy's management of his aggression and his ability to substitute emotional mastery and mutual cooperation for violent interaction.

I think he's got it basically right, although I don't believe the system was set up purposely to hurt boys.

There is just one problem here - we're not in a jungle and boys aren't lions.

There is a crisis in boyhood in America today.

At 5 years old boys feel shamed if they don't push away from mom.

Early on, many boys give up. Once they turn it off, they rarely go back to it.

Connection, connection, connection. That's what they need. That is what they don't get.