This episode was inspired by a question from a listener who was feeling a bit paralyzed by what is “okay” in terms of teaching her son about boundaries, consent, flirting, etc. in the wake of #MeToo. 

So, through a series of events, and referrals, it was suggested Mark Greene was THE GUY. Mark is a Senior Editor with The Good Men Project and the author of  “The Little #MeToo Book for Men”.  

Dr. Saliha Bava, a researcher and therapist, co-authored another book with Mark called "The Relational Book for Parenting." 

This episode tackles the conversation of how our culture influences our view of what it means to be a "man" and its influences on our parenting of our sons. However, the episode goes beyond a "How to" for talking to sons about sexuality and consent in the #MeToo world but into how we strip both our sons and daughters of natural human parts of their sense of self and, for sons and men in particular, limit their abilities to engage with our natural sense of empathy. And if we learn how to form connections with one another, in all relationships, the questions of what is "right" and what is "wrong" wouldn't appear to be so confusing and conflicted. 

Topics in this episode include: 

• Why did Mark write the Little MeToo Book for Men?
• Describe the Man Box Culture that gags a silent majority of men today?
• How a breakdown in the relationships between men, themselves and women is an intentional part of the Man Box?
• What do men say they wished they learned from their parents?
• How does empathy help us all navigate the messy world of sexuality & consent?
• What are ways to teach and improve our empathy skills?
• What changes in parenting today have to start to happen? 

Resources from the Episode

www.thinkplaypartners.com 

http://remakingmanhood.com/

Dr. Saliha Bava's Website