Premiering Thursday, January 12, 2006, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) will air a two-hour documentary entitled “Raising Cain: Boys in Focus.” The program will be hosted by Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the 2000 bestseller, “Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys.”
The documentary will explore the behavior and emotions of boys, from preschool age through adolescence, by presenting the actual stories of “real boys.”
According to the program’s description at PBS’ web site, www.pbs.org/opb/raisingcain/, “In this documentary,…Thompson consults with some of our nation’s most respected psychologists, social activists, researchers and educators to probe the issues facing boys and find solutions to their dilemmas.”
Of particular concern to us single Moms, “Raising Cain” notes that, while boys need male role models, 40% of boys live in homes without fathers, and only one in nine elementary school teachers is male.
PBS will also offer a “PBS Parents’ Guide to Raising and Understanding Boys” at its web site soon. According to the site, “This online resource will extend the themes of the documentary to provide parents and other caregivers of boys with valuable insights and practical strategies for understanding and supporting boys.”
Also in the works for the PBS site is a “video message” from Dr. Thompson, who “will explain the unique challenges facing boys on their path to manhood.”
Please check the listings of your local PBS stations for air dates and times. There may also be multiple airings: for example, in the New York area, “Raising Cain” will appear on WNET-NY Channel Thirteen on January 12 at 9 p.m. and on January 14 at 1 a.m.
Although I haven’t seen this program, I wanted to bring it to your attention because it sounds very informative and also because PBS plans to provide additional helpful materials at its website.
Please note too that this program isn’t just for single parents, but for all parents, caregivers and teachers of boys.