When I found out I was having a boy as a second child, I kind of freaked out. “What in the world will I do with a boy?” I wondered. Pee tents and circumcision decisions confused me even before birth. More importantly, raising my daughter came so intuitively. Having my first boy challenged me to mother in a way that was foreign to my instincts.
After the second boy came along, I was in panic mode. The “XY” domination of my home was undeniable.
After sharing these feelings with a close girlfriend, she gave me some invaluable wisdom. She said, “it is great to have boys because you change the world by raising good men.”
That shifted my perspective on having boys and put me into place of curiosity and learning about raising boys.
That’s why I picked up the book, Wild Things. Embracing the captivating creatures they are – messy, energetic and with endless fart fascinations – is part of my job as a mom.
Wild Things addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of a boy, written by two therapists, who are also fathers raising five sons.
The book contains chapters such as “Sit Still! Pay Attention,” “Deficits and Disappointments,” and “Rituals, Ceremonies, and Rites of Passage.”
Following the developmental stages of boyhood, Wild Things details what to expect for boys until the age of 22. It provides scripts on how to deliver praise and set boundaries.
It embraces, what I believe, is a genetic difference with males. The book holds a chapter just for mothers, as well, asking provocative questions of your personal perspective on manhood.
As with all parenting books, balance this one with your own religious, social and cultural perspectives on raising children. Ignore the slight religious bend, if it bothers you, and drop any inapplicable parenting suggestions.
Let me know what you think of this book. Any other books about raising boys you would recommend?
