Boys rarely say they're sad. They go short, retreat to their room, and answer everything with "I'm fine." Most parents read that as normal teenage behaviour, and most of the time they're right. Sometimes it's grief with no language attached. A father writes about why attitude is often the only signal a boy can send, and what to do when you're already noticing something.

Over 80% of suicide deaths are male. Men are taught to push through pain but not to express it. Grief in men often shows up as anger, isolation, or silence—not tears. At The MentorWell, mentorship provides boys and men with safe spaces to build emotional strength, resilience, and language for their pain. Change starts with one conversation.