We began the Mothers-Sons
Project after several years
of working with teachers, guidance counselors, and mothers of
sons, convinced that there was a better way to foster the growth
and development of boys! By bringing mothers together, with or
without their sons, we identify, discuss, and explore new strategies
for raising sons.
Below is a brief description
of our philosophy and the approach that we've developed. We've
also included a schedule of upcoming workshops. We hope you can
join us!
Nikki Fedele, Ph.D. & Cate Dooley,
M.S., Co-Directors
About the
Mothers-Sons Project
According to traditional
wisdom, close ties between mothers and sons are undesirable--even
dangerous. Disconnection is viewed as the natural course of development
for such relationships. Yet mothers and sons suffer as a result
of this culturally-mandated separation: the mothers must endure
the pain of losing a son to disconnection, while the sons suffer
by failing to develop relational skills, retreating from both
feelings and relationships.
In response to the
experiences of mothers, we have evolved a different approach to
mother-son relationships, emphasizing strengthened connection
rather than separation. Our goal is to define developmental stages,
name the cultural barriers of each stage, and create relational
strategies for countering the pressures faced by mothers and
sons.
At each stage of boys' development, our alternative model, "Parenting
in Connection," responds to
relational conflicts and cultural pressures specific to particular
age groups. While specific interventions are appropriate for a
given developmental stage, we believe that it is never too late
to begin the process of re-connecting.
