MRS. MORHARD AND THE BOYS: BEHIND THE PAGES

Josephine Morhard was a rare divorced woman of her time. She had a young son whose father was an alcoholic and became brutal when he drank. She knew her son needed better male role models. Through her baseball leagues, she provided them, for him and for all the boys. Today, outside of their fathers, sports coaches are often the men boys most try to emulate. Much of a young child's learning comes from observing and imitating adults. Like Josephine, you want your child to have the right role models. Maybe it's a parent, brother, or sister, uncle or aunt--someone who teaches right from wrong, plays ball with them, helps with homework and shows the value of hard work and education. Or it could be a friend, neighbor, teacher or coach. Hopefully, many of them.    Having good role models is important for every child ,  especially for single moms or dads. 

My new book  Mrs. Morhard and the Boys is about the remarkable Mrs. Josephine Morhard, who created the first organized boys' baseball leagues in the midst of the Great Depression. Her achievement and her approach to boys' baseball were unique. To her baseball was more than a game. It was a tool to help boys grow up right, and she had distinct ideas on how to do just that. Josephine Morhard was the mother-in-law I barely knew. Decades later I found myself working on a project to help boys grow up right. It was the Boys' Project of Starting Point, a nonprofit early education agency. Using the latest research, I wrote  Wired to Move , a practical nonfiction book on how boys' brains work and how teachers and parents can use that understanding to help them become their best. I found that many of Josephine Morhard's Morhard's ideas stood the test of time. This blog combines the old and the new--ways to nurture young boys (and girls) along with some inspiring stor

In Josephine Morhard's time, kids played outside nearly every day, boys played baseball in the streets and most Moms were housewives.  It's different today, but boys still need the movement and exercise of those days. Young boys need to move to learn. Brain research shows us that. Making sure your young boy has lots of time to run and jump and explore--rather than sitting on the couch glued to video games--gets his brain moving, supports learning and fosters good behavior. Check out this article:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/well/family/why-kids-shouldnt-sit-still-in-class.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&smvar=wkndbau%3Fsrc%3Dtwr&_r=0