Review: Raising Boys by Design

Do you have a boy?
Are you concerned about society's approach to the rearing and teaching of boys?
Do you KNOW what society is doing to our boys? 
Get educated.   Be aware.  Learn how to be proactive in protecting your sons.  Teach them how to be men.       This book helps you do all that!  

Product Details.

Received an ebook to review from Blogging for books.
Written by: Jantz and Gurian
Length: 221 pages

This book is written in response to how boys are treated so often in society, let's medicate them, let's expect them to act like girls, etc.  I had a bit of time getting past that mindset to actually just reading the book and learning from it.   It's not that I don't believe it, I just haven't seen or experienced such behaviour directed at me or my son. :)     I have to admit though, I have run into it a bit... A cousin who was determined that her lad could be raised exactly like her little girls.   Friends who struggled to understand why a boy or a man acts the way they do because it was a way a thinking they couldn't wrap their heads around.  When I came right down to it though  I just didn't see it as such a big issue, but since I began reading the book I did a bit of research and the concerns expressed in this book are quite valid.  :)

I actually enjoyed reading this book for the most part.  I really did!  Most books like this bore me to tears but this book kept me engaged and thinking.  By the end of it I was thinking I should get my hubby to read this, in prep for when our son is in his early teens.

One section that made me think was this:

When talking about how boys and girls have different fight/flight responses the author pointed out that with boys in their fight response are often loud and physically active:
"A more effective approach may be to help him find healthy ways to work through his fight response, such as being physical with a punching bag.....or you might encourage him to go for a jog....he can then talk to you after he expelled his agitation. ..... Boys do a lot of emotional processing independently, without words...."  

This helped me to better understand why my son withdraws when he is upset and how he voluntarily comes to me later once he has processed things and WHY it's important for me to allow him that time.   He NEEDS that time by himself to work things through...hmm... kinda like his father that way.  :) 

The authors would present some facts, teach you what those facts meant and then provided discussion or perhaps better worded would be "thought provokers" in the form of questions you can ask yourself as you look at the boys in your life and figure out best how to help them mature into solid men.   The authors were great at showing the need to boys not only to have their dads, but emphasized the importance of having a mom in their lives.  I appreciated very much the balance that was provided.

Did I appreciate everything in this book?   To be honest, no.  I totally skimmed the section on how to help your child in a school setting.  My lad is homeschooled, my intention is to keep him home for a good few years yet.  But I can see that section as being useful for parents who are needing to advocate for their sons within the public school system.. imagine... boys not being able to play ball at recess or having games of tag banned... it would be a hard thing...how do boys run off their energy???  Parents need to know how to advocate for their children.

That's what this book strives to do.  To provide parents with ways to further their knowledge of their sons so that they can help them become the men they are supposed to be.  Heroic providers for their families.  The word HERO comes up alot!  

My advice: if you have boys... get this book, help them discover some heros, help them become heroic.  :)

Disclaimer

I reviewed this book through Blogging for Books.   My honest review was asked for in return for receiving one copy of the book.  I received it in e-book form.