Mother-Son Relationships

I posted a couple of weeks ago about books on raising boys, and then happened to come across this article a few days ago! It is about how research has shown that a close bond between mothers and sons seems to result in several positive outcomes for the boys. I pasted the best paragraphs of the article below.

Research shows that boys suffer when they separate prematurely from their mothers and benefit from closeness in myriad ways throughout their lives.


A study published in Child Development involving almost 6,000 children, age 12 and younger, found that boys who were insecurely attached to their mothers acted more aggressive and hostile later in childhood—kicking and hitting others, yelling, disobeying adults and being generally destructive.


A study of more than 400 middle school boys revealed that sons who were close to their mothers were less likely to define masculinity as being physically tough, stoic and self-reliant. They not only remained more emotionally open, forming stronger friendships, but they also were less depressed and anxious than their more macho classmates. And they were getting better grades.


There is evidence that a strong mother-son bond prevents delinquency in adolescence. And though it has been long established that teenagers who have good communication with their parents are more likely to resist negative peer pressure, new research shows that it is a boy's mother who is the most influential when it comes to risky behavior, not only with alcohol and drugs but also in preventing both early and unprotected sex.

If you'd like to read the whole article, you can find it here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203960804577241610532233188.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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