How can we raise confident boys, protected from dangers and addictions? How can you encourage your son to spend less time on his phone and more time with you, his parent? Who should be more involved in an adolescent son’s upbringing: the father or the mother? These and other topics were discussed on October 26 at the national parenting conference "In Their Minds," organized by the pentrucuplu.md platform in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research and with financial support from UNFPA Moldova.

The pressure of gender stereotypes, lack of emotional management tools, and the absence of parents or relatives who can support boys during adolescence lead to concerning statistics and challenging realities for teenagers in Moldova and worldwide. For instance, 35% of boys consume alcohol before adulthood, 28% use tobacco and other addictive substances, and are both perpetrators and victims of bullying.

For parents of adolescents, it is equally challenging: they have high expectations for their sons, believe they are mature enough, yet struggle to understand "what’s on their minds," how to communicate effectively to be heard, and, more importantly, to be understood.

The "In Their Minds" conference brought together over 150 mothers and fathers, who learned from seven other parents of adolescents and mental health experts how to truly listen to their boys and communicate with them in ways that allow a genuine understanding of what's on their minds. A key innovation of the event, which sparked deep reflection among parents, was the recording of a live podcast by Titania podcast. During this session, the moderator spoke with a former drug user who turned to substances to fill the void left by absent parents, love, and support. Through the real-life story shared by the guest, Constantin Cearanovschi, parents became more aware of the importance of raising children who understand and accept their emotions, helping shield them from negative influences.

Another important and essential dialogue featured three fathers of boys who spoke about their relationships with their sons and how spending quality, phone-free time together helps them understand and stay close to their children. Parents also had the opportunity to ask questions and receive live answers from four psychotherapists from the pentrucuplu.md team.