The Boy Brain

September 23, 2025 | Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Ever since my son was in daycare, I’ve heard “boys will be boys” tossed around. This was mostly to explain his energetic, impulsive behavior, especially during play or social interactions. I’ve never liked that saying. It felt like a shrug, an excuse, as if rough-and-tumble behavior is inevitable or exclusively male. And let’s be honest, girls can stir up just as much chaos as their male peers.

But as he moved into elementary school, the patterns became harder to ignore. More boys in his grade were on medication for ADHD. More boys were getting flagged for disruptive behavior. The gap wasn’t just anecdotal anymore. It was showing up in classroom dynamics, discipline charts, and parent-teacher conferences.

Recent research confirms that there are differences between male and female brains, but I keep wondering: Are those differences present before puberty? And if they are, how much do they actually shape the way boys and girls learn, connect, and navigate the world around them?

In this two-part series, we’ll explore how brain development may diverge between boys and girls, and how we can best support them as parents as they grow. First up: The boy brain.

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Coffee Chat: The Sideline(d) Parent

September 18, 2025 | Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Third grade really is a pivotal year—not just academically, but emotionally and socially— and in all the subtle ways, kids start stepping into themselves. It’s not just the shift in classroom expectations; it’s everything else.

This fall, my son joined kid-pitch baseball for the first time. He practiced endlessly on his pitching, determined to take the mound —and he did. Watching him struggle through his first inning, knowing I couldn’t step in or give him a quick pep talk between batters, was a moment that mirrored so much of what this school year has felt like so far.

And now, there’s the new line I hear more often from him: “I know, Mom.” It’s a small phrase, but it carries the weight of his growing away and me slowly finding myself on the sidelines. While I know this was bound to happen (our kids can’t stay little forever), it doesn’t make this quiet shift any easier.

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You’re On Your Own, Kid: Navigating the 3rd Grade Transition

September 16, 2025September 15, 2025 | Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

The jump from 2nd to 3rd grade is considered the first big “Academic Transition”. The other two academic transitions are the jump from elementary to middle school, and the jump from middle to high school. These academic transitions are so aptly named because of the increased workload and subject matter difficulty, as well as the higher expectations of emotional maturity, personal responsibility, and independence.

Think about it. Kids aren’t doing circle time anymore to start their day. They aren’t reminded to use the bathroom or hold hands with their partners on a field trip. Kids are actually graded by the quality of work they submit, not just a check or check plus for completion.

My son is in third grade this year, and I can feel the pressure. Each week brings homework and a steady stream of graded material—whether it’s a practice sheet, a quiz, or a formal test. On top of that, he’ll be taking the Georgia Measurement Assessment System (GMAS) for the first time. It’s hard not to feel like everything rides on this one year.

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Book Smart: Kids and Reading

August 21, 2025August 20, 2025 | Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

A few years ago, we did a Child(ish) Reads on a book called Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind, M.D. Its core concept is based on the research by Betty Hart and Todd Risley who, in 1995, found that by the age of three, children from higher-income families hear about 30 million more words than those from lower-income families. This disparity plays a substantial role in shaping academic outcomes and long-term success.

This topic has become top of mind this year as our school board is aligning its priorities with Georgia’s Early Literacy Legislation, which aims to ensure all children become proficient readers by the end of third grade. So why third grade?

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