Raising Emotionally Strong Boys

Title: Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build on for Life

Author: David Thomas

Genre: Parenting, Self-Help, Leadership, Nonfiction

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Source: Net Galley

My Review:

I found Raising Emotionally Strong Boys an enlightening read.

However, I would say that while I understand the focus is on boys, and they struggle more with the issues in this book than girls do, girls would also benefit from multiple things Thomas has outlined in this book.

Men are often skilled in avoiding pain and numbing discomfort. They struggle greatly with asking for help and attending to their health and well-being. What if we raised a generation of boys that saw prioritizing mental health as wisdom?

Thomas talks about how we are to help our boys learn to recognize stress, then instruct them on how to regulate through the stress, and finally, repair any damage that is done (verbally, physically) during their stressful moments. He calls it the three Rs. This is a skill I believe girls need to learn as well.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the recap of the main points at the end of the chapter. It helped drive the points home.  Some of the topics discussed in this book are common emotional struggles, like anger, depression, and anxiety. Thomas also includes recommendations for other resources that would be beneficial to have your son do daily, like journaling.

My son is seventeen years old, and I wish this book had come out a few years ago. It would have helped us navigate some of the harder seasons we have had. 

I highly recommend this book to parents and anyone who works with boys in any capacity.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

How can you help raise your sons to handle difficult emotions and process complex ideas of masculinity? Drawing from 25 years of counseling, David Thomas explains what's behind their anger issues, anxiety, and depression, and shares how to foster emotional intelligence within your sons by teaching them healthy, constructive ways to express their emotions.