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Parenting

Mom uses laundry hack to teach her young son manners around menstruation

"My son will be educated, understanding & helpful."

Images courtesy of Instagram/@queenn.gee

Mom Gee Gee @queenn.gee teaches her young son about menstruation.

It's impossible for men to understand what menstruation is truly like for women. But one mom is making it her mission to educate her young son about periods through doing the laundry together.

Mom Gee Gee (@queenn.gee) shared a menstrual blood talk teaching moment with her young son, Brayden, in a touching video, where she explained how to remove blood from clothes using peroxide. She demonstrates it to him on a pair of underwear that has menstrual blood on it.

How to talk to your sons about menstruation

"Grown men have told me 'Ew that’s nasty/don’t talk about that' when I’ve mentioned being on my cycle. My son will be educated, understanding & helpful 🩸❤️," she wrote in the video's caption. "We’ve already had the talk about periods; this was just a teaching/reminding moment as he helped me with my laundry."

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As she shows Brayden how to apply the peroxide, she discusses more about the importance of not making fun of or shaming women who have their period. "Never ever make fun of a girl for having blood in her underwear or on her pants, okay?" she says, as her young son looks up at her and responds that he knows women have periods.

"We can't control that, it's a natural part of our lives. It's a natural part of the human body. However, many boys can sometimes be mean and cruel, and they often make fun of. And I don't want you to do that. I want you to be compassionate, okay?" she tells him.

Gee Gee also explains what he should do if her ever sees a girl with menstrual blood on her pants. "If you ever see a girl at school that has a little blood on the back of her pants, and maybe she didn't see it or didn't know, how could you handle that?" she asks her son.

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Brayden responds, "By maybe pulling her to the side and try helping her and try getting her to the office or something." She replies, "Right! And do you tell her, 'You have blood on the back of your pants!' in front of everybody?" He says, "No."

She then tells him that he could take off his sweater and offer it to her to "wrap around her so that it's not showing. It's not gross, it's not nasty. "Just like she can wash her underwear, you can wash your sweater as well. You're going to get older, and you might have your own kids, and you may have daughters or have a woman, and you may be washing her clothes, and I don't want you to ever be like, 'Eww! I'm not touching that!' No. Take care of it, use the peroxide, and be there for them, okay?"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Her son nods his head, and they give each other a high-five and a big hug. And her followers shared how much they loved their interaction.

"Thank you, Mama, for raising an amazing young man! You are doing the most beautiful job. I admire you!!! And by the way he’s looking at you, I can tell he admires you too! Good job, sweet mama!" one commented. Another wrote, "Oh, Mama, you are teaching him to be an empathetic, kind, and protective man. This is beautiful 🥹 This is the evolution of human beings 🙌🏾."

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Family

Award-winning health teacher shares why ‘purpose’ is key in raising boys to be successful men

Teens and young men need to feel they are contributing to the world.

via Christopher Pepper (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

Educator Christopher Pepper and scouts with a map.

Over the past decade or so, there has been a significant cultural push towards opening opportunities for girls to excel in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math. However, many feel that while we all looked to empower girls, boys fell by the wayside. Today's boys are growing up in a world where there is a lot of confusion surrounding masculinity, and they are slipping in both academics and social skills.

What can parents do to counter this decline and help their boys grow into productive, happy, and healthy men? Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health teacher, father of two boys, and co-author of the recently released Talk To Your Boys: 16 Conversations to Help Tweens and Teens Grow into Confident, Caring Young Men, says we can begin by giving them a sense of purpose.

How to give boys a sense of purpose

“I think the idea of purpose is really smart to bring up. That is something that we've seen really helps teenagers just have a concept of where their life is going, having a sense of contributing to the world,” Pepper told an audience at the 2025 Aspen Ideas: Health festival.

- YouTube youtu.be

Lisa Damour, a psychologist who specializes in adolescent development and host of the Ask Lisa podcast, added that this sense of purpose doesn't have to be "curing cancer." It can be as simple as setting the table or taking care of the dog. “That these much more attainable and frankly child-sized things can do the work of purpose until they are ready to think about the grand contributions they'll make to the world,” Damour said.

Pepper adds that boys who build a sense of purpose in their tween and teen years are likely to carry it with them into adulthood. Studies show that a sense of purpose in life can help prevent anxiety and depression in adolescents as well as adult males.

Finding meaning in a career

“I think we can do a lot with boys in particular to encourage them to move into caring roles like taking care of the dog, but being a camp counselor. Doing things where you're a mentor for a younger kid,” Pepper said. “And overall, I would love to see us encouraging more boys and men to go into caring professions. Think about being a teacher. Think about being a therapist. Think about going into medical care. To really see a push around that career option and say that can be your purpose. It can be a way that you contribute to the world, make a decent living, and have a satisfying life.”

— (@)

Pepper believes that it's parents and mentors' jobs to help boys consider purposeful careers that may not have been on their radar. There are many fields where men are in demand, but they just aren’t pursuing them. “Sometimes boys don't want to go into those [careers] because they're worried, 'What will people think of me?' Or they just don't see that that's a place for them,” Pepper told Upworthy. “So it's a little bit of breaking barriers, like making sure that we can say this is a place for you. It really helps to have men in those roles who can do some recruiting. We've actually seen a decline in the number of male teachers in classrooms.”

Instilling a sense of purpose in boys and young men can open up their world to greater possibilities and provide a sense of happiness and satisfaction that is hard for many to come by these days. In an era where many traditional institutions have fallen by the wayside and people are suffering through a crisis of meaning, a career path with a sense of purpose could mean the difference between falling through the cracks or thriving.

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Fatherhood

Anthony Mackie explains his refreshingly old-school approach to raising his boys to be men

"In the past 20 years, we've been living through the death of the American male."

@thepivot/TikTok

Anthony Mackie explains how he raises his boys to become men.

While on an episode of The Pivot podcast, Marvel star and father to four sons Anthony Mackie recently took a strong stance regarding masculinity, saying: "In the past 20 years, we've been living through the death of the American male…but I raised my boys to become young men.”

While that sentence might at first seem like we’re heading into some cringey “alpha male” territory, the Captain America: Brave New World actor also elaborated on the values he instills in sons, like being respectful, having humility, saying “yes sir” or “yes ma'am” and “thank you,” opening the door for women, making sure their mother is "taken care of and provided for.”

@thepivot
Anthony Mackie On The Death Of The American Male #anthonymackie #captainamerica #marvel #foryou #mindset #fatherhood #america #masculinity #fyp

Mackie then provided an example, saying that before leaving for a job, he would make his 15-year-old son the “man of the house,” with the responsibility of making sure the doors were locked and the alarm was on. Because, as Mackie put it, “if I’m not there to protect, he gotta be there to protect.”

This sentiment reflects a broader shift that many parents are experiencing. While there are certainly many praises to sing about modern practices like gentle parenting, many people are also longing for a return of some “traditional” approaches that are equally beneficial, particularly when it comes to setting helpful boundaries and teaching manners.

As one viewer put it, “That’s called structure, responsibility, accountability, and direction.”

But there’s also Mackie’s take on masculinity itself—involving caring for and protecting others, showing up for responsibilities, and embodying true leadership—which people are positively responding to.

leadership, raising sons, fathers and sons, young men Masculinity doesn't have to be toxic. Photo credit: Canva

Mackie's take t seems to touch on admirable traits that can go unnoticed by both far left progressives, who wave the flag of “toxic masculinity” (and thus alienate half the population), and the right wing "manfluencers" like Andrew Tate who offer a place for men to be welcomed while promoting actual toxic traits like misogyny, narcissism, and domination.

“That’s not the masculinity that needs to die. More fathers need to teach this,” one person wrote about Mackie's take.

Another echoed, “What a beautiful way to articulate being a man.”

As another viewer noted, parents can of course teach boys these traits while also teaching “emotional intelligence too—vulnerability, honesty, empathy, care. Then the boys will be golden.”

And just as we can incorporate both new and old parenting styles, we can also integrate some nuance in the way we talk about masculinity. Our conversations surrounding gender roles are constantly in flux, and yet there's a bit of stuckness around this topic—what makes a “real” man, how to be a “good” man, and so on. Mackie’s take put to words what a lot of folks are feeling: that the good parts of masculinity are being erased along with the bad, and that if we really do want the next generation of men to be fully realized, we need to teach them what that looks like.

Watch the full podcast episode below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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Family

When his young son was bullied for wearing pink this dad had a truly badass response

"Men need to be the example for young boys."

@dougweaverart/TikTok

Imagine if all boys had this kind of support to embrace all parts of themselves.

We often hear about how binary gender norms affect young girls, but any man who’s ever been made fun of for being sensitive or liking “girly” things during childhood can tell you they influence young boys as well. And perhaps the worst offense of these arbitrary limitations is the way they keep individuals from truly knowing and expressing all parts of themselves, which can lead to a slew of interpersonal problems late in life.

Boys in particular are often taught from an early age to shun the qualities in themselves considered to be feminine—things like empathy, compassion, having strong emotions, etc. It’s so well documented now how not nurturing these qualities leads to isolation and loneliness in adulthood, and yet messages like “boys don’t cry” or “pink is for girls” still persist.

Artist, TikTok creator and Doug Weaver (@dougweaverart) recently made a few excellent points as to why adult men need to be the example for young boys if we truly wish to see a change.

In a stitched response to a video where a mom lamented that she knew how to help her daughter “fight back” against gender norms, but not her son, Weaver argued that above all, it’s important for young boys to see grown men “defy” the expectations culture puts on them.

“Society will try to beat boys down until they fall in line,” Weaver said, sharing his own experience of seeing his son come home from school after being bullied for wearing pink and liking unicorns (which, of course, are “for girls” only).

Weaver said that the only solution he saw was to “pinkify” his own life, and be that example his son so desperately needed.

@dougweaverart
@Mel | Med Student raising boys is scary, because we know just how much society is built to tear them down. #men #masculinity #parenting #boydad #greenscreenvideo

“I added so much pink to my wardrobe,” he explained, saying that he even painted his nails pink so that he’d be seen as the “problem” instead of his son.

“They don’t say anything to me. If they’re not brave enough to confront the color pink, they’re not going to confront me.”

Weaver added that the larger conversation he tries to have with his son is how this is a “fight worth having,” not just for men with feminine qualities but for “but for everyone society tries to reject.”

He then used this example: a boy who secretly wants to wear a dress to school, but doesn’t to avoid getting bullied. Weaver said that solution only works temporarily, since the dress is only a small manifestation of a larger aspect of the boy’s identity, which he would be repressing to fit an expectation.

“They’re getting bullied for what they wear now, they’re going to get bullied for who they are later. And if changing their clothes made the bullying go away when they were younger, they might think that changing their personality will make the bullying go away when they are older.”

What’s more, for this hypothetical boy, for Weaver’s son, and for any boy really, there’s something very vital that’s lost in chasing this idea of masculinity.

“The people who want to take colors from him also want to take his creativity,” Weaver explains “They want to take away his kindness, they want to take away everything that is soft in his life. His feelings and his emotions. They wanna take away his ability to love people who are different from him.”

Yep, that hits the nail of the head perfectly.

And that is why Weaver prioritizes being the example for his son, because “if he sees people criticize me from time to time, and he sees how unaffected I am by it, that is an example to him of the strength and tenacity that it takes for anyone to just be their authentic self.”

And, perhaps more importantly, Weaver is teaching his son that he will be loved and accepted, no matter how he expresses himself. Imagine a world in which all children were taught this valuable lesson.

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Parenting

Mom says she won't be raising 'tough boys' to avoid this one toxic trait

“See these boys? These are our boys. And we have decided not to raise tough boys.”

Photo credit: Canva

Boys do cry. And they should be allowed to do so.

Parenting has evolved in myriad ways, but certainly, one of the more potent shifts has been attitudes towards raising boys.

As a society, we have seen how detrimental the whole “men should be strong and never show emotion” thing can be, and more and more parents are trying not to pass that outdated belief onto their sons.

Still, you’ll definitely run across an adult—be it a parent, grandparent, teacher, babysitter, etc— saying “boys don’t cry!” or “toughen up” from time to time whenever a young boy shows sensitivity.

And that is exactly why a video posted by Jen Hamilton, a mom of two boys, is such an important watch, because in it Hamilton deftly explains how associating masculinity with toughness teaches boys that only one emotion is allowed expression.

Hamilton begins by showing a picture of her sons as she says, “we have decided not to raise tough boys.”

“I might sound crazy, but when you raise your kids to be tough, or you tell them to toughen up, what you're teaching them is how to mask true emotions that they're feeling to appear strong,” she continues.

@_jen_hamilton_
Why we aren’t raising “tough” boys

And as these “tough” little boys grow up into men, internalizing and suppressing their true emotion in order to appear strong, they become capable of expressing only one emotion—anger.

Hamilton likened it to pushing down a beach ball into water. Eventually that beach ball is going to explode up.

“When that boundary finally breaks, it comes out as temper. Throwing things, yelling," Hamilton says.

Instead, Hamilton and her husband are teaching their sons “to feel deeply” and allow emotions, even the negative ones, so that they may understand them better.”

As an example, Hamilton shares that when her son came home one day feeling left out of something she responded with ‘Hey, that really sucks. And I know exactly what that feels like and it really hurts.”

“I don't say, ‘Get over it’ or ‘Toughen up.’”

Hamilton asserts that in this scenario, she is teaching her son the value of compassion for others. When they see someone else feeling left out, they can better empathize with them. “But when we say things like get over it or toughen up, you're telling them that those feelings aren't valid and then they are not able to see those feelings as valid in other people.”

Hamilton goes so far to say that anyone who is not taught to validate their own emotions won’t have the tools to empathize with others, and this is what helps create narcissism.

Hamilton also shares that where she didn’t grow up with a dad who had anger issues, her husband did. Thankfully, he has developed his own emotional intelligence in spite of it and has no problem “getting down on his knees” to meet their sons' emotions head-on.

In conclusion, Hamilton declares that she doesn't think it’s ever “necessary or helpful” to expose her kids, or anyone else's, to “harsh situations to toughen them up.”

raising boys, toxic masculinity, patriarchy, parenting Empathy is always worth teaching. Photo credit: Canva

Down in the comments, other adults couldn't agree more with Hamiton’s stance.

“This is what breaks the trauma of patriarchy. This is what saves young males,” one person wrote.

Another person, a principal, shared, “I am always telling boys it’s okay to cry, to be hurt, and to have feelings.”

Still another viewer wrote “Exactly! Help our children to feel safe enough to express themselves, teach empathy and compassion. We need this now more than ever.”

For those looking to break the cycle of toxic masculinity with their own sons, but not sure where to start, another viewer mentioned the book “Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be,” written by Justin Baldoni. Sounds like a phenomenal resource. You can find it on Amazon here.

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parenting

Dads, it's time to reassess how we're raising our kids — especially our boys.

Parents and carers, listen up:

The development of emotional literacy and intelligence is not a task we can outsource to a school system, youth group, or sports club.

This training is our task, our responsibility. It’s true home-work. An inside job.

I'm the father of two boys under 10, and someone who works professionally in the space of emotional intelligence. And even I have to admit it’s a challenge to give the gift of emotional intelligence. But it’s worth it.

Here are a few things I’m learning (and yes — I am still learning!). These are my ABCs.

Three basic things to remember:

A. Always model well.

My boys watch me, model me, and follow me. Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly, kids learn their emotional cues from their parents. My boys learn especially from me, as I'm the primary male in their life.

They watch how I treat their mum and how I welcome their friends when they come to visit. They watch how I discipline their siblings and how I handle stress. They pay attention to how I talk to others, treat others, and love others. They see me cry when I need. I’m a walking emotional classroom.

Parents, there’s no getting around this: your boys are watching.

So ...

Be self-aware. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Walk in love. Apologize quickly and sincerely. Sort your own crap out. Keep doing the heart journey. Be willing to back-track and explain your actions and reactions — right or wrong.

B. Believe your boys.

“I’m bored!” “I too tired!” “I can’t do it.” “I hate her!” “That hurts!” “It tastes yuck!” “I’m scared.”

Sound familiar? (Like, every day!).

If we respond with: “That doesn’t hurt.” “You’re not tired.” “You don’t hate her.” “Don’t be scared.” or “How can you be bored?” — how on earth can the boy learn to trust and label his own emotions?

It's no wonder we have so many shut down adult men who can’t put words to what they feel. Many were shamed for sharing feelings, and when they did share, they were told they were wrong.

So ...

Parents, we have to validate what our boys are sharing. Believe them when they share their emotions and feelings. It’s vital. Dads, we have to stop holding our sons to an impossible and destructive standard of masculinity (one that even we can't measure up to!). It’s not helping.

Respond by believing your boys. Use simple reflective listening skills by validating them in phrases like: “I can see you’re tired”, “You hate her, huh? Tell me why”, “That can be scary.”, ”I'm sorry you're feeling bored.” (Btw, it doesn’t mean you have to fix the problems. Just believe them first and see what happens).

C. Call out the gold in your boys.

I've spent years studying and teaching on the power of blessing across cultures. I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve cried with, prayed for, and given counsel to whose fathers totally sucked at the blessing of simple encouragement!

In fact, many fathers did the opposite of calling out the gold by calling out the problems, faults, and failings of their children. It’s incredibly traumatizing and irresponsible. It really pisses me off.

Boys whose dads are in their lives need their dads' unconditional love, approval, and acceptance. Think for a minute: how many movies contain a theme of a boy (or adult boy) looking for his father’s approval? So many! It’s hardwired into us and essential for emotional health and literacy.

So ...

Remember, blessing is not a reward for good behavior. Blessing is our right, as humans.

Like nurture, safety, and community, we NEED the good things in us called out by others. Drop the nitpicking and criticism, instead find some things that your boy likes, has a knack for, or is interested in and encourage him with words.

It could sound as simple as, “Man, you love soccer? That’s great!” or “You’re a kind young man, kinder than me. I’m proud of you, son," or “I know it’s not the mark you wanted, but I don’t care, I can see you’ve tried. I'll cheer you on no matter the outcome.”

Finally, let me add something that may help in your journey to teach emotional literacy.

This isn't about being an amazing, perfect, or super-fun, always-happy dad.

In my 14 years of parenting, I've learned that being a "good-enough" dad is the kindest and fairest standard to hold against myself and others.

If I'm a "good enough" dad, and I at least remember my ABCs, then I’m well on my way to gifting my children with the emotional literacy they need to move forward into the world of adolescence and adulthood.

This story originally appeared on davidtensen.com and is reprinted here with permission.

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Dad's reaction to his son's spilled Slushee shows positive parenting in action - Upworthy ›

raising boys

Mom uses laundry hack to teach her young son manners around menstruation

"My son will be educated, understanding & helpful."

How to talk to your sons about menstruation

Award-winning health teacher shares why ‘purpose’ is key in raising boys to be successful men

Teens and young men need to feel they are contributing to the world.

How to give boys a sense of purpose

Finding meaning in a career

Anthony Mackie explains his refreshingly old-school approach to raising his boys to be men

"In the past 20 years, we've been living through the death of the American male."

When his young son was bullied for wearing pink this dad had a truly badass response

"Men need to be the example for young boys."

Mom says she won't be raising 'tough boys' to avoid this one toxic trait

“See these boys? These are our boys. And we have decided not to raise tough boys.”

Dads, it's time to reassess how we're raising our kids — especially our boys.

The development of emotional literacy and intelligence is not a task we can outsource to a school system, youth group, or sports club.

A. Always model well.

B. Believe your boys.

C. Call out the gold in your boys.

Finally, let me add something that may help in your journey to teach emotional literacy.

12 photos of women before and after an orgasm shines a new light on women's sexual wellness

Man uses the shoe aisle to perfectly explain why middle-class Americans are hurting

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Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s employee. And here's my jaw hitting the ground.

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