Changing the Story for the Next Generation
Breaking the Silence: Men’s Mental Health – Resource 6
Every generation inherits ideas about masculinity, emotion and strength. Some offer guidance; others quietly teach boys to hide pain and manage difficulty alone.
This resource explores how adults can change that story through ordinary moments. Children learn not only from what they are told, but from what they see modelled around them.
A father who apologises, a coach who asks how somebody is coping or a teacher who treats emotion with respect all communicate that honesty belongs within strength.
The piece considers emotional literacy as a protective skill. Naming feelings, asking for support and recognising stress can help young people respond earlier rather than waiting for crisis.
I have written this for parents, carers, educators, coaches and communities who want boys and young men to grow without inheriting the same silence.
Changing the story does not require perfect adults. It requires willingness to listen, repair mistakes and make room for conversations that previous generations may never have been offered.
When boys learn that they do not have to hide their inner lives, the next generation gains more than language. It gains connection, choice and hope.
By Maggie Learoyd
Psychotherapist | ADHD, Autism & ARFID Specialist
Founder of Space to Breathe Therapy
