Do parenting advice books help or harm? Critiquing ‘common-sense’ advice for mothers raising boys

ABSTRACTEducationalists lament the resilience of the so-called ‘boy crisis’, despite research that demonstrates only some boys are in crisis, as well as some girls. The boy crisis in New Zealand shows no sign of abating, partly due to popular rhetorical literature in the form of parenting advice books. In particular, authors Celia Lashlie and Nigel Latta have garnered a strong following among parents and educators. In this article we argue their texts not only continue to inflame the boy crisis, they are harmful in the ways they inform narrow ‘de facto’ education policies and practices focused on boys. Our analysis of He’ll be ok and Mothers raising sons found each author privileged particular combinations of classic rhetorical strategies with discourses of essentialist masculinity and mother blame to position their parenting advice as common sense. Our critique highlights the vital importance of examining intersections between parenting advice books and education.