by Ellen Carroll on February 20, 2009

Book Reviews, Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson

Thinking back on my childhood and all the terrible things I did to my mother, I felt exceptionally blessed to be given two sons instead of daughters. While it seemed like a good trade- I take frogs, bugs, dinosaurs and avoid drama, attitude and prissiness- I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I grew up the only daughter in the middle of two boys, so I was pretty sure I knew the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff for parenting boys. I knew that boys were rough, dirty and mean. What else is there to know? Raising boys was going to a piece of cake.

As my boys grew up a bit, my cake turned to mud pie. (And not the good kind you get in Memphis.) My precious boys were growing up to be pushy, defiant and down right naughty! By the time my oldest son told me that he ‘didn’t like me right now’, I knew I needed help. This boy stuff was harder than I thought.

The truth is that what you don’t know can hurt you, and your kids.  Assuming that you know everything you need to be able to raise not only healthy, but good boys is almost always a mistake. While Dr. Dobson takes a Christian approach to raising boys, his analysis of the young man’s mind, heart and soul is applicable to anyone wanting to raise children who are respectable and respected.

Dr. Dobson’s book, Bringing Up Boys, is a wealth of knowledge concerning why boys do what they do.  Through scriptural advice and his own studies on the relationships between boys and their parents, Dr. Dobson is able to teach parents how to proactively deal with problems that can arise when taking on the rougher sex. He explains the major differences (besides the obvious) between sons and daughters and the different sets of emotional hurdles each will inevitably put their parents through.

Bringing Up Boys is an invaluable addition to any family collection and will be treasured as an irreplaceable tool for those who wish to have a better relationship and understanding of their sons.

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