Tune in for an update on where my family is now vs. when Boys Built Better started two years ago. There is more details in the episode, but for now, this is our last regularly scheduled show. Be sure to subscribe or like us on Facebook or Instagram for updates on new episodes. https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/ https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/

Vaping has been all over the news lately, but if you are raising a young adult vaping has probably been something that they have been exposed to for a lot longer than the recent headlines. Today I am chatting with health educator Christa Timmerman about the basics of vaping, its health concerns and how to talk to you child. Show Notes and LinksFor more information on vaping check out: https://www.larimerhealth.org/vapingFor resources on how to help you child quit visit: https://www.larimerhealth.org/youthquitDoes your child want to become a youth advocate? Check out: https://youthactionforhealth.comLike Boys Built Better on https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/ or follow us at https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/Timestamps •What is an e-cigarette (3:56) •Why is vaping so interesting to teens? (8:18) •Vaping rates in boys (10:00) •What regulations are in place to protect kids? (11:57) •Health Risks associated with vaping (15:36) •Recent Headlines (18:11) •What addiction really means (21:20) •How can parents prevent vaping (22:13) •Vaping in the community (24:24) •What to do if you find vaping products (25:24) •Does vaping hlep smokers quit? (26:38)

Boys Built Better returns on Loudspeaker with part two of our conversation recorded live at Heyday Fort Collins with guest Kori Wilford. Learn more about how to have tough conversations with your kids.

Earlier this summer, I was asked by my neighbor and friend Jennifer Little if I would speak at her shop Hey Day as part of its Hey Day grows series. We’d had several conversations about raising kids at our neighborhood get togethers and decided that it was information worth sharing.Would I speak alone? Oh, no! I reached out to my resident conversation expert and previous guest Kori Wilford. In this episode, we tackle how to talk to your kids about tough things while also respecting their curiosity and their right to know. The longer I host this show, the more I learn that this, above all other parenting topics, is the heart of our relationships with our kids.Want more Kori? Check out our original episode on talking to your kids about sex: https://boysbuiltbetter.com/podcast/creating-sexually-healthy-boys-of-all-ages-and-talking-to-your-son-about-sex/Want more Jen? Check out Hey Day online: https://theheydaystore.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theheydaystore/Want more Boys Built Better? Follow us: https://www.boysbuiltbetter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/ https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/

Reposting an episode from last summer about transitioning to middle school. In addition to my chat with parent Erin Dirvonas, I’m reflecting on how my son did during his first year. Listening to this again, it’s amazing how much stuff that she mentioned also came up for us. Is your child heading into middle school? Get prepped with this episode.Topics• The sixth-grade experience • Similarities to Elementary? • Teacher Communication • Developing Independence • Lunch Questions • Dealing with the locker • Time Management • Learning to speak for yourself • Picking an instrument • All the girls • Changing throughout the year/ grades • What to prepare for ahead of time • Learning to contemplate and expand ideas • Devices and social media • Parenting through middle school

Re-airing last year’s episode about transitioning your child to kindergarten. Last year I was working really hard to get my youngest prepared and am know happy to report back that he had a great, successful year. Is your own child about to start elementary school? From academics to independence skills, we’ve got a lot of great tips on how to make the transition a success.Looking for some last minute prep ideas? Find recommended workbooks at: https://boysbuiltbetter.com/education/best-workbooks-for-pre-k-children/The easy way I taught my middle son to tie shoes is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b0PiWo5rC4My favorite lunchbox is can be found at: https://amzn.to/2lgav6L

Re-airing one of the most informative episodes of the show to date. I recently spoke with Kori at an event regarding having tough conversations with your kids. While we recorded that event and it will be available as an episode in the fall, we had so many people reach out to us regretting that they couldn’t be there I thought I would re-air Kori and I’s first conversation.We are talking to Kori Wilford, a public health educator with the Larimer County Department of Health on how to raise sexually healthy boys and how to initiate that conversation early and often.From the definition of sexual health, to today’s research, to what to teach at all ages, this episode is not only fascinating but filled with great information and practical tips on how to tackle this conversation no matter how old your child is.Recommended Resources:It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris https://amzn.to/2Lx8JJtWhat’s the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys by Laurie Krasny Brown https://amzn.to/2Lw6RRmWhat’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras https://amzn.to/2JkBtClAdvocates for Youth Parent Sex Ed Center http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents-sex-ed-center-homeProduct links on this post may be sponsored/non-sponsored affiliate links. Boys Built Better will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking such links. There is no extra cost or charges to you.

A few weeks ago, I talked with Dr. Hector De Leon about adolescent depression. During that episode I mentioned our own experience with depression but in an effort to get his information out, I didn’t say much about our personal story. Today I am chatting about what it was like to go through that with my son and how you can hear more personal stories of ours going forward.Show Notes and LinksWant to hear more exclusive audio on Patreon? Sign up to support us: https://www.patreon.com/boysbuiltbetterIf you haven’t already check out our interview with Dr. Hector DeLeon on Adolescent Depression: https://boysbuiltbetter.com/education/e22-depression-in-young-children-and-adolescents/Check out Kaiser Permanente’s site on depression including a self-assessment tool: https://findyourwords.orgWant more Boys Built Better? https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/ https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/Get full episode notes: https://boysbuiltbetter.com/

This time last year, my oldest son chose choir as his middle school arts elective. At this time, I think he chose it because he thought it was the easy route out (he was not a fan of the practice requirements of band). A year later and he not only performs in his grade level choir but an extra-curricular choir as well AND practices at home without being asked. Always shy and never the child that I thought was a performer, he blossomed in choir in ways that I never expected and it is joy to watch him perform.In another episode of our Boys Beyond the Ball series (episodes that highlight the experience and benefits of activities outside of standard team sports) today we are talking to Joseph Perron, choir director at Lesher Middle School in Fort Collins, about what it is like having participated in music as a child, the benefits choir can have on boys today and both the expected and unexpected skills that one grows as a result.Topics• Participating in music as a child (3:33) • What commitment to music looks like (7:38) • How music helps boys in adolescence (11:52) • Middle choir programs (19:01) • Challenges boys face today (24:30) • Skills that being in a choir grows (32:35) • Unexpected skills gained by boys in choir (36:36) Want more Boys Built Better?Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/Get full episode notes: https://boysbuiltbetter.com/

Every time that summer rolls around, I make plan on how to keep my kid engaged over the next three months. This year, more than ever I am thinking about how the “summer slide” and how to keep up with academics. Find out the latest research on what kids lose over the summer and how I’m working to prevent that this year.Topics • What is the Summer Slide (0:45) • Why I am thinking about it (1:55) • Research Behind it (8:39) • Our plan (22:23) • Academic Options for Early Elementary (28:01) • Academic Options for Upper Elementary (31:27) • Academic Options for Middle School (33:57) • The BBB Summer Challenge (38:52)Show Notes and Links • Check out the Summer Reading Challenge Grand Prize https://amzn.to/2YCQlSD • Science kit to try for Science Friday https://amzn.to/2HsGTvx • Read Aloud for older children https://amzn.to/2WfIdtN • Get two books free for trying Audible https://amzn.to/2HuX4bS • Research on Summer Learning Loss https://www.nwea.org/blog/2018/summer-learning-loss-what-we-know-what-were-learning/ http://ideas.time.com/2013/07/01/do-kids-really-have-summer-learning-loss/ • Research on Summer Math Loss https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/06/summer-math-loss or https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/10/bedtime-problems-boost-kids-math-performance • Electronic Math Games https://www.prodigygame.com • E-tools for Reading https://www.getepic.com • Printable Math Facts http://www.nebo.edu/resources/math/pages/fastfacts/fastfacts.htmWant more Boys Built Better? Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/ Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/ Get full episode notes at https://boysbuiltbetter.com/

“As many as 1 in every 5 teens experience depression at some point during adolescence, but they often go undiagnosed and untreated.” My own son was diagnosed with depression at the age of 11, but he had been suffering for probably a year before that diagnosis. As a parent, I had an inkling but wasn’t sure and really didn’t know at what point to seek help and certainly didn’t know what to expect when finally making that appointment. Today I am speaking with pediatrician Dr. Hector De Leon about depression in children and adolescents. We are chatting about what depression is, its symptoms, how it’s diagnosed and what treatment looks like. From stigma to how to talk to your kids about it, Dr. De Leon covers everything you need to know to identify depression and get your child the help he needs.Topics• Understanding depression (4:50) • How depression is different in children (8:66) • Symptoms of depression (10:46) • Depression in older children vs. younger children (12:35) • How depression progresses (13:45) • Boys and depression (17:50) • How and When to seek a diagnosis (21:50) • How depression is diagnosed (24:06) • Related Conditions (25:38) • How to talk to your kids (27:00) • Treatment options (29:20) • Reoccurrence (34:44) • Resources (38:09)Show Notes and Links• Head over to https://findyourwords.org to check out Kaiser Permanente’s site on depression including a self-assessment tool • The CDC has several pages dedicated to depression check out the childhood depression page at https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html • The American Academy of pediatrics also has several pages on depression that can be accessed at https://www.aap.org/ including this article by Nerrisa S. Bauer that I pulled the above quote from available at https://www.aap.org/en-us/aap-voices/Pages/Adolescent-Depression.aspx • Want more Boys Built Better? Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/boysbuiltbetter/ or follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/boysbuiltbetter/ • Get full episode notes at https://boysbuiltbetter.com/