Mothers and sons

The Mothers and sons program is a 6 session early intervention program to support and develop the mother to son relationship and assist mothers in raising happy, respectful, and non-violent boys.

The program is specifically designed for boys 6-8 years old, as research tells us this is the critical time to teach boys about emotional regulation and respectful behaviour. The program is facilitated by a female and male facilitator.

The sessions explore topics including the role of the mother, emotionalregulation, and what masculinity means today. The group aims to foster the development of strong, enduring, and positive connections between mothers and sons as well as healthy relationships beyond the family sphere.

Beneficial outcomes of the program include:

  • Increased understanding of the physical, cognitive and emotional development of boys
  • Increased awareness of a mother’s role in supporting the emotional regulation of their sons
  • Ability to identify characteristics of respectful males and masculinity for both Mother’s and son’s
  • Identification of opportunities to include male role models in their son’s lives
  • Strategies to help regulate emotions safely
  • Increased understanding of healthy relationships
  • Ability to identify gender differences, and challenge gender myths
  • Reduced stigma and increased likelihood of help-seeking in the future

This program is the first of its kind in Australia.