It's been a while since I've heard the comment "Boys will be boys." The last time I heard it, there was no accompanying smile or tolerant shake of the head. The speaker was disgusted, certain that boys are just naturally strong-willed, with no respect for authority.
A teacher friend tells me that the overwhelming majority of students in remedial classes are boys, and that some studies show 80 to 90 percent of school disciplinary cases are boys. When it comes to raising males, are we stuck with built-in problems?
An encounter with boys in a juvenile home has helped convince me the answer is "No."
