Raising Boys without Men by Peggy F. Drexler
As the number of single-mum and two-mum households has grown, so have concerns about the possible damage to boys caused by the lack of a male role model in the house. Peggy F. Drexler, Ph.D., listened to all the dire warnings; but her training as a research psychologist told her she had to see the evidence. So she embarked on a long-term study comparing boys raised in female-headed families with those whose fathers were present throughout their childhood. What Dr. Drexler discovered is as heartening as it is startling. She found that female-headed households may be even better parents for boys than households with men; sons from these families are growing up emotionally stronger, more empathetic, and more well-rounded than boys from traditional mother-father families; while more in touch with their feelings, these boys remain boyish and masculine in all the ways defined by our culture. Raising Boys Without Men offers an inclusive vision of what family can mean, and a blueprint for raising happier, healthier sons.