In this episode of Unlocking the Parenting Code: All About Boys, Kathy sits down with Samir Aweidah—a deeply thoughtful, nuanced thinker whose life journey spans cultures, questions, and real conversations about what it means to grow into manhood today.

From growing up with young parents in the Middle East to navigating identity, masculinity, and mental health in Canada, Samir shares insight into the emotional terrain boys and men walk—and how society often misses the full picture. Together, they explore the power of mentorship, the importance of vulnerability, and why healthy risk-taking is essential for development.

This conversation offers something rare: space to reflect, question, and feel understood. Whether you're a young man, raising boys or simply care about the next generation of men, this episode is a powerful reminder that real conversations do create real change.

LISTEN / WATCH HERE:

**********

Feeling motivated? Here's a short, powerful coaching experience to help you tune in, connect, and understand your son—one tiny step at a time.

Join my free 1:1 Tiny Challenge™: 3 Days to a Stronger Connection With Your Son

✨ In just 3 days, you’ll take one small step each day to understand, connect, and affirm your son—no overwhelm, no pressure, just powerful parenting in action.

Here’s how it works:

✔️ I’ll send you one simple action + reflection each day

✔️ You’ll message me back with your experience

✔️ I’ll support you personally with insights, encouragement, and next steps

👉 Ready to get started? You can just send me a note at [email protected] and say “I’m in!” and I’ll take care of the rest.

**********

Guest Bio

Samir Aweidah is a multidisciplinary thinker known for his curiosity, compassion, and ability to see beneath the surface of social expectations. Raised between cultures, Samir brings a global lens to conversations around identity, masculinity, and emotional growth. He’s passionate about nuance, honest dialogue, and the kind of introspection that leads to deeper human connection. Whether one-on-one or in group circles, Samir’s approach to conversation is both grounded and expansive—always aiming to understand, rather than to judge.

Topics Covered:

• Masculinity Reimagined: What values define manhood today?
• Growing Up with Young Parents: Early insights from layered family dynamics
• Healthy Risk & Rites of Passage: Why challenge matters in a boy’s development
• Vulnerability & Friendship: Redefining strength through emotional honesty
• Pornography as Super-Stimulus: Intimacy, overstimulation, and learning the wrong lessons
• Mentorship & Male Circles: The role of supported risk and being “caught when you leap”
• Middle Eastern Identity & Gender Norms: Breaking the mold from within
• School, Humor, and Learning Through Laughter: Rethinking how boys are taught
• Mental Health, Mindfulness & Meaningful Conversations: What boys really need

Quotes:

“Risk without failure is not possible. You have to fail in order to grow.”

“There’s so much talk about redefining masculinity—but for me, it’s about vulnerability, honesty, and presence.”

“When we let go of pressure to act a certain way, we make space for who we really are.”

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/sphereofsamir/

Thank you for listening to Unlocking the Parenting Code: All About Boys—where real conversations create real change. Find out more about boys at Sonhood Coaching.

WHY SEASON 3 IS DIFFERENT

Too many boys today feel lost, alone, and misunderstood. And far too often, the same is true for their parents.

Behind the troubling statistics is a generation of boys quietly longing to be seen, heard, and valued — yet the conversation around boys’ emotional lives remains far too quiet.

Season 3 of Unlocking the Parenting Code is here to change that.

In this new season, you’ll hear:

🔹 Real conversations with young men who are ready to share their truth.

🔹 Powerful insights from experts in boys’ mental and emotional health.

🔹 And raw, real wisdom from dads who are walking this road every day

🔹 Solo episodes where I reflect on what I’ve witnessed, wrestled with, and learned

At the heart of this season — and at the heart of Sonhood Coaching — is a mission:

To understand the inner emotional world of boys, to recognize the very real challenges they face, and to name the damaging myths and societal expectations that continue to shape how we see, treat, and raise our sons.

This is not about fixing boys.

It’s about truly seeing them — and learning how to show up differently, with compassion, courage, and connection.

Together, we’re building a world where boys feel safe to be their authentic selves.

Because when we get it right for our boys, we begin to heal something much bigger.