Bringing Up Boys - Review

Nicole asked me:
"I was looking at the Dobson book, is there different stuff in it that you wouldn't find in a normal parenting book?"

So that prompted me to write a review on the book.

I finished Bringing Up Boys by Dr. Dobson and I would highly recommend it to any Christian parent raising young sons. I found the book to be easy to read, full of stories and examples and at the same time insightful and informative. I think it is an excellent and relevant resource for raising boys in this culture.

There is a consistent encouragement throughout the book that in raising our sons our goal should be to raise men. The importance of instilling confidence in our sons and surrounding them with good role models is emphasized, as well as the importance of a father/son relationship.

While Dr. Dobson very clearly states that not all boys fit your stereotypical image of a boy (and that it is normal and healthy), most of the book is dedicated to describing what one would generally define as a stereotypical boy. That was perfectly fine for me, as Judah is as boy-ish as I think he could possibly be and Wesley is definitely headed that direction too! I love my boys and all their wild, creative boy-inisms, and reading this book has only served to make me all the more excited about what is to come.

I really enjoyed what Dr. Dobson had to say about the education of boys and how schools, in general, are geared more towards a girls learning enviroment. It was also insightful what he had to say about the effects the media has on boys with how they portray men - in fact it made me rather squirmish thinking about the undertones in just about every kids movie Judah has seen. Sometimes it is subtle othertimes not so much, but almost every movie the man is made to look like an idiot and the woman is the smart, fit, attractive, always right one. That was one of the most convicting things about the entire book to me, and we were already careful and limited with what we allow him to watch.

I haven't read many other parenting books - in fact I can't think of any other parenting book that captivated my attention to completion - so I can't compare it to the advice given in other books. While it is very much a common sense book, it digs deep into the psychology of boys, how they defer from girls, how to approach them and encourage them as boys and so, so much more.
I found the solid Christian values that are encouraged and the ideas that are given to be encouraging, informative and refreshing.

Not only do I think this a book well worth reading if you are a Christian parent, I think it is a book well worth owning.