Friday Q&A: Why doesn’t he talk anymore?

Boys love to give one-word answers. Is this normal?

The answer may surprise you. As boys get older, and approach mid-elementary school years, most will pull back and express less emotion. It’s normal. They retreat from uncomfortable feelings. They talk less about problems. This seems a sudden shift for parents who recall their young son once telling them everything and displaying sadness and worries openly. This change isn’t abnormal, and in fact, their retreat from expressing strong emotion or worry directly is part of the developmental path most boys will take. Not all boys, but most. They are shoring up their new found sense of power, masculinity, and belief that they are capable and independent. This is both a true gender difference, some of it likely is wired in some way, and much of it is based on how we socialize young teenage men. Don’t be concerned that your son isn’t as verbal and emotional as he once was, and adjust your expectations for how he communicates with you.

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