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

by David Thomas

Overview

About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers . . .

Some say that's just how boys are--prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues? Drawing from twenty-five years of counseling boys and working with parents, David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be

Resourceful--equipped to work through his emotions in constructive ways
Aware--so that he better understands himself, including his strengths and weaknesses
Resilient--having the capacity to cope and feel competent
Empathetic--able to understand the feelings and experiences of others

Helpful also for grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who has a boy in their life, this book shows how a strong emotional foundation leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity that will serve him well his whole life.

"This book is the most impactful, practical, and applicable playbook for raising young men that we have read to date."--TIM and ELISABETH HASSELBECK, ESPN analyst and bestselling author

"David Thomas is someone I go to as a resource when it comes to parenting--especially parenting a boy."--RACHEL CRUZE, #1 New York Times bestselling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493437429
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	83,375
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

David Thomas, LMSW, is the director of family counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the author or coauthor of ten books, including the bestselling Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys. He speaks across the country at parenting events and is a frequent guest on national television shows and podcasts, and he cohosts his own podcast called Raising Boys and Girls. David and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, twin sons, and a yellow lab named Owen.
David Thomas (www.raisingboysandgirls.com), LMSW, is the director of family counseling at Daystar Counseling in Nashville, TN, and the coauthor of eight books, including the bestselling Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys and Are My Kids on Track?. He speaks regularly around the country and is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including his own called Raising Boys and Girls.  He has also been featured in publications like The Washington Post and USA Today. He and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, twin sons, and a yellow lab named Owen.

Table of Contents

Foreword Sissy Goff 11

1 Traps and Tricks Getting emotionally stuck is common for boys. Learn what traps them and how to help them find new plays or "trick shots" to get unstuck. 15

2 Foundation and Definition Learning regulation skills and building emotional muscles is foundational work. Defining our role in this work as parents is equally important. 26

3 Backward and Forward Helping boys develop an interior life and strong psychological immune system is key. Learn how to help boys move out of the blame-to-shame swing and into healthy ownership. 43

4 Anxiety and Depression Understand the unique ways anxiety and depression present in boys and adolescent males. Learn practical skills to help boys navigate fear, sadness, and anger. 61

5 Moms and Dads Consider the unique roles each parent plays in a boy's growth and development. Identify the ingredients he needs unique to your gender. 83

6 Friends and Allies Develop a better understanding of what upside-down kingdom living looks like in a boy's life and friendships. Identify three different layers of relationships. 106

7 Models and Mentors Define wisdom and identify the voices that impact your life for good as a parent and those in the life of your son. 121

8 Upward and Outward Explore what upward and outward living means and how it contradicts the phrase "man up!" Practice exercises that create concrete upward and outward experiences for boys. 135

9 Habits and Practices Help boys build a framework for physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health. Discover an easy blueprint for building habits and practices. 150

Conclusion: Moving Forward 173

Acknowledgments 185

Notes 188