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Posted by on Apr 18, 2017 in From Boy to Man, Saving Our Sons, The Quest Project, Tips for Moms | 0 comments

Parenting Boys? 7 Key Questions I’m Frequently Asked

 

Parenting Boys

When I’m asked to do an interview, and discuss parenting boys and the “state of boyhood,” here are the questions that I feel must be addressed in order to see change!  

 

“Our Boys Are in Trouble”

They need our help, and The Quest Project®,  10-week boys to men program, along with the book Saving Ours Sons” is about getting them the help they need.

 

 

What are the key takeaways parents will get from your book “Saving Our Sons- A Parent’s Guide to Preparing Boys for Success?”

A way to reach parents or guardians everywhere on what they can do for their sons to grow up to be healthy men.  An action plan for immediate help and hope. An overview of The Quest Project along with support that they’re not alone.  Case studies that detail what parents and especially moms can do to save their son.

Why are our young men falling far behind young women in school and life?

Boys need a mother and father, but all too often, the dad is missing from the home, whether it’s physically or emotionally, so often boys will bond together and act out in unhealthy ways. Fatherless boys are twice as likely to receive D’s and F’s and drop out of school, and if we take that a step further; more than 75% of all crime in America is committed by men who were fatherless as children.

This must change…the time is now…and I’m the one to talk about it – it’s my life’s work.

Parenting Boys: What is the wound that all adolescent boys share?

It’s a systemic problem with not meeting the needs of boys in general! Boys used to grow up working alongside their fathers on the farm and shop. They learned how to be men from other men and now they only learn from each other because the father has been absent.

What is the Quest Project®?

The Quest Project® is a 10-week “Modern Day Rite of Passage” to help adolescent boys 11-19 years of age. Quest provides the researched teachings and processes of what’s missing.  Boys need a healthy male father figure to teach them throughout their teenage years but for whatever reason, he is physically or emotionally absent.

The Quest Project® includes: Healthy Male example/facilitator, safe container, goal setting, tools for reaching goals, wound identification and healing, anger management, conflict resolution, gift identification, and a life mission.

Parenting Boys: What is missing and what do boys need?

In general, they need a healthy modern day rite of passage which includes:

  • A Mentor – safe, healthy male example
  • A Safe place to deal with their pain and anger – non-shaming
  • Support of a community or neighborhood – to see doing good and bless
  • Sense of Achievement, importance, and change – challenge and adventure
  • Ritual to Mark Transformation – validation

These are the proven processes a Mature, Responsible and Available Father brings to his sons’ life!

Your childhood was difficult, how?

As a boy my dad was alcoholic, absent, abusive and violent in the home. I found ways to get through this and once I turned my life around, I realized I wanted to help other boys. I got the education, did the research, and created The Quest Project® helping over two thousand boys since 2000.

Parenting Boys: Are you doing the Quest Project® around the country?

Yes, I have an intensive weekend version please go to the website to get much more information.

Let me know if this was helpful to understand the full scope of my mission:

“To create healthy lifestyles by teaching, facilitating, writing and example.”

 

Clayton Lessor
Clayton Lessor, PhD in education and counseling, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice. He is author of "Generation of Men: How to raise your son to be a healthy man among men" and “Saving Our Sons: A Parent's Guide to Preparing Boys for Success." Dr. Clay has seen over 2000 boys since 2000 and facilitated over 300 The Quest Project groups. Boys attend a 10-week "boys to men program" where they and their parents will learn the tools needed to get through these turbulent teen years. Dr. Clay is a member of the Steering Committee for The Coalition to Create a White House Council for Boys and Men.
Clayton Lessor
Clayton Lessor

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