Hero’s Heart is for mothers and sons ages 9 and 10 who are interested in meeting up and exploring important pre-teen topics. This club follows the book, Hero’s Heart, written by Melia Keeton-Digby. The book gives a step-by-step process for creating a monthly gathering as well as a detailed outline of activities and questions to discuss as a group.

Note from Amy: I wish I would have been able to do this with my son and so I encourage others to try to get a group started! I organized one meet-up but did not have enough families to continue meeting. Looking back, ages 9 and 10 were the perfect ages for sharing this information with my son.

Monthly Topics:

Month 1: I have the Heart of a Hero
Month 2: I Choose Resilience
Month 3: I Challenge Gender Stereotypes and Discrimination
Month 4: I express My Feelings in Healthy Ways
Month 5: I am a Heroic Friend
Month 6: I Think For Myself and Take a Stand for What is Right
Month 7: I am a Peacemaker
Month 8: I Listen to My Intuition
Month 9: I Care for My Body, Mind and Spirit
Month 10: I Honor My Changing Body
Month 11: Sex is Sacred
Month 12: I am Changing the World

Closing Circle and Rite of Passage Ceremony: I am Crossing the Threshold

From the book:

By sharing the Hero’s Heart with your son, you are giving him the gift of…

Quality Time
We all thrive on connection and our boys want to spend time with us. By spending time together each month in circle our boys develop a comfort level and a recurring opportunity to share what is important to him with you. It opens the line of communication and creates strong relationships.

Sacred Space to Reconnect with Himself
Circle allows the opportunity to take a pause, step away from the everyday routines and pressures. Together we will tune into our hearts and checkin with ourselves. 

Authenticity
Giving our boys the opportunity of space and time to speak their truth and be fully heard without interruption, feedback, advice, or judgment. Boys are often encouraged to share their strong, confident side. Circle gives them the opportunity to ask questions and to hear from others with similar issues or thoughts. 

Close Interpersonal Relationships
As our boys are getting older they might feel the pressure to hide their warm feelings towards their mothers from their peers. In circle, positive and tender mother-son interactions are the norm. 

Communication Skills
Participating in the Hero’s Heart with your son provides a prime opportunity to counteract the stereotype that boys do not talk or want to express themselves. When boys are provided with an encouraging, positive environment, the words start to come.

Emotional Intelligence
The Hero’s Heart curriculum teaches boys to express what they feel with words and healthy actions. Breaking the patriarchal code of male silence early in life. 

Healthy Self-Concept
The Hero’s Heart curriculum will develop a solid foundation of self-knowledge, self-confidence, and self-respect. Focus is placed on boy’s becoming the hero of their own life and to learn that they are responsible for their own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self-care. 

Information
It is important that our son’s have meaningful conversations. They need accurate and complete information . This circle shares information on sex in Months 10 and 11. 

Community
Our gatherings will foster a strong community. A commitment to attend is important in forming this bond. Creating opportunities to have fun and shared experience builds strong relationships. Hearing from other mothers in circle offers our sons the opportunity to hear important messages from multiple channels, making it all the more likely that it will leave a lasting imprint in your son’s heart. 

Rites of Passage Ceremony 
Rites of passage support life changes and the sacred space between transitions. They remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves and helps to connect the individual to self, to others, and to the greater community. By providing space for boys to explore the depths of themselves and the world around them. Boy will tap into their inner knowing and discover that they are apart of something greater than themselves and that their lives have purpose and meaning.