SRT: Book #1 Review - "Bringing Up Boys"

As part of Katrina's wonderful challenge, Spring Reading Thing 2007, I committed to finishing this book. Luckily, I was 3/4 of the way through when the challenge started last Wednesday! LOL

Well, Dr. James Dobson’s take on how to raise responsible, kind, strong, and God-fearing men became more of a journey for me than for Pojke at this point! LOL Oddly enough, it initially reminded me of a recent “Law And Order” re-run I’d seen. The male shrink had interviewed a male defendant charged with murder and was describing how he had been emasculated and made to feel impotent by women in his life until he suddenly and fatally raged back.

Dobson’s statistics and examples about how men in this country (particularly Christian men) have been slowly demoralized, deconstructed, and devalued hit me hard. It also reminded me of the problems Everyday Mommy’s recent series on “The Knight Inside Every Man” was trying to address.

The data on the biological differences between Flicka and Pojke really stunned me but rang entirely true. And, as a competition-adverse person myself, I better learn to cope quickly because apparently it’s part of a boy’s nature! LOL He cited an example of a mom and her son in a standoff over finishing his milk at dinner. The boy consistently refused. But, the dad simply looked at his son and said, “bet ya’ I can drink mine faster than you” and the milk was instantly gone!

I read the chapters about the profound effect fathers have on their sons and the one about a mother’s influence out loud to Da Hubby while traveling. We both were left in awe. It was like when we brought Flicka home the first time from the hospital and realized the overwhelming responsibility of taking care of this little individual God had given us.

And, as a semi-retired teacher, I was shocked by what a disservice our current model of education does to boys. While Dobson says he sent his kids to an out-of-home school (I don’t remember if it was Christian or public), if he had to do it all over again now with what he’s learned, he’d homeschool no questions asked. He feels boys are simply are ready and/or not mature enough to do what the schools ask of them at 5, 6, and 7 years old.

There’s a section on single parenting and on the effects of divorce on boys. There is also a discussion of Dobson’s beliefs of what causes h*m*s*xuality and whether it can be prevented.

While it took me an entire month due to wonderful lack of organization skills (LOL), it was a worthwhile read.