Nurturing Equality

By Julie Duffin
November 2023 View more Books

In her new book, Nurturing Boys to be Better Men: Gender Equality Starts at Home, Naperville pediatrician Shelly Vaziri Flais aims to help parents raise mentally healthy, empathetic young men who are committed to gender equality.

“As a mom of three boys—and one girl—I am very pro-boy and want my sons to be full, whole humans, in touch with their nurturing and caregiving sides,” she says. Using a growth mindset, her book offers actionable, proactive steps that easily can be incorporated into everyday living. “The book examines each stage of a child’s life and how there are conscious choices and parenting decisions that can tilt the needle toward greater gender equity,” she explains. “We as parents may have the best of intentions, but as our sons grow and interact with the outside world, societal and generational patterns reveal themselves. If we are to make positive changes, we need to be aware of these forces, and know that change starts with each of us.”

Based with Pediatric Health Associates, Flais is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Photo: Shelly Vaziri Flais