Michigan, USA – The Chaldean Education and Career Center urges Chaldean parents with sons to take advantage of an upcoming family workshop featuring national best selling author and internationally recognized authority on boys and men, Dr. William S. Pollack, PhD.

The event will be held on November 3, 2008 from 7 pm - 9 pm at the Oakland Schools Building, located on 2111 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford, Michigan, 48328. 

Dr. Pollack's presentation will address the crisis of boyhood in America, specialized techniques for reconnecting with boys, new approaches to "Mothering" and "Fathering", and new models of understanding "What makes boys tick"

The event is free to those who RSVP by e-mailing info@chaldean.org. 

Dr. William Pollack is a Harvard Medical School psychologist, Director of the Center for Men and Young Men at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and author of Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood.

It seems that boys are becoming more troubled and violent with each passing year. We asked renowned psychologist, Dr. William Pollack, if the publicized violence in schools is just the tip of a hidden iceberg.

Dr. Pollack thinks that we all need to make changes to rescue boys, and that the changes can't simply involve metal detectors and banning black shirts in school. Too many boys have been taught not to show their feelings and are suffering in silence. Parents can help their boys by understanding them better and communicating with them. Here's how.

Chaldean Mothers and fathers can engage their boys in what Pollack calls "action talk." First, find a "safe" space away from others where your son feels that no one will make fun of him. Then find a game he enjoys. For some boys that's a board or video game. For others it's basketball or catch. During the play, you can begin to introduce brief statements and questions to draw your son out and see how he's feeling. You might start with something like, "I noticed that you were really quiet last night after your soccer practice. Is everything going OK on the team? How are you feeling?"

Many parents will be shocked at how their boys begin to open up during "action talk." Fathers can talk about their own struggles and pain during adolescence. In this way fathers can show their sons that they're strong even though they've gone through painful times. The result can be that your son feels he's not alone in his pain, he bonds to you, and he learns ways of coping with his feelings.

Chaldean Mothers should feel encouraged and empowered by the knowledge that you just can't love a boy too much. Mothers who have been told that they should separate from their sons or beware of mothering them too much should feel free to hug their boys and show their love freely. You just can't have too much mother. Research shows that men who had strong connections to their mothers growing up are more successful at work, emotionally healthy, and live longer.

The other thing mothers can do is recognize that boys express love through action. They might fold the laundry without being asked, or bring you a glass of water. This is an expression of love, and mothers can feel free to say "I love you" right back.