Love this! You are on the right track. This is refreshing and uplifting. As a oldest sister of 6 boys and a mother of one 20 year old son, boys are much more complex than many believe. To teach them the compassion needed to see past their own limited viewpoints, the confidence to live in their own skin, to see their dreams through to the end, is tricky and so individual. Listening and responding as you did is imperative. As parents, it is often not our call to say "no" to them, but to listen to their "why". Why is this important to them? Responding to that then, the question to follow is, "How do we make this happen?"

Thank you for this. Introspection and opening possibilities are both essential for a balanced and growth-mindset oriented human, child or adult.