parenting
I just read a book called the male brain. ok, now can we stop the laughter and the comments on relative langth of this book. While it is more of a novella than an epic, it is a rather nice compilation of knowledge about how the brain functions, and how the male brain function can be used ever so conviniently as an excuse to not ever look at yourself. Now, It is a little useful book and teh lady who wrote it never said it was the ultimate guide to having a great realtionship either. But overall I find the book not overly enlightening. I also don't agree wth her conclusions drawn on the function of the brain. there was a lot about agression and on how they couldn't help themselves to do certain things. Well, nobody ever gave us that particular excuse. if we wanted our fair share of the world we had to *man* up.
Now, I also don't find half of her stuff particularly manly, I had very similar experiences, I also think she focusses overly on the situation in the US, while that is good and well in an american market I find it difficult that she draws conclusions regarding biology from only american data. She also mentioned some swedish studies, but those are not regarding the *competetive* agression.
The only part that I found an important thing to read and I recommend getting it from your library if you have a teenage (or soon to be teenage) son. there seems to be some very distinct differences in the developing male brain from female brains. It may not help in the parenting per se but it will help in reducting teh subjective frustration. I love one sentence: She was quoting a dad telling his wife:
"He is just behaving like a typical boy, once he has been grounded for long enough he'll come around" ;)
It reminded me of an pother wise rather horrific book about old fashioned style of parenting:
"Any prohibition/Verbot needs to be enforced with an iron fist: which is the reason why one shouldn't forbid overly much!"
So there
That's it. My 2 cents
Now, I also don't find half of her stuff particularly manly, I had very similar experiences, I also think she focusses overly on the situation in the US, while that is good and well in an american market I find it difficult that she draws conclusions regarding biology from only american data. She also mentioned some swedish studies, but those are not regarding the *competetive* agression.
The only part that I found an important thing to read and I recommend getting it from your library if you have a teenage (or soon to be teenage) son. there seems to be some very distinct differences in the developing male brain from female brains. It may not help in the parenting per se but it will help in reducting teh subjective frustration. I love one sentence: She was quoting a dad telling his wife:
"He is just behaving like a typical boy, once he has been grounded for long enough he'll come around" ;)
It reminded me of an pother wise rather horrific book about old fashioned style of parenting:
"Any prohibition/Verbot needs to be enforced with an iron fist: which is the reason why one shouldn't forbid overly much!"
So there
That's it. My 2 cents