Review: 6 Ways to Keep the Good in Your Boys by Dannah Gresh

About the author:

Dannah Gresh has long been at the forefront of the movement to encourage tweens and teens to be modest and to pursue purity. Her books include Six Ways to Keep the “Little” in Your Girl, And the Bride Wore White, and Lies Young Women Believe, co-authored with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Gresh has appeared numerous times in national media and is the creator of Secret Keeper Girl, a line of mom/ daughter connecting resources and live events. She and her husband, Bob, have an adult son, Rob, and two teen daughters, Lexi and Autumn. Learn more at www.dannahgresh.com.



About the book:

 It’s perhaps no surprise that today’s media, retail, and fashion industries press girls to grow up too fast, but what about the boys? Remarkably, the exact opposite. In a culture that often churns out selfish, emasculated, irresponsible men, boys are encouraged to live in a perpetual state of childhood, often too busy playing Call of Duty to actually follow a real life call of duty. A boy’s relationship with his mom during the formative age between 8 and 12 is vital to his future well-being. So how can moms teach sons to be honest, confident, and respectful when the world and situations encourage them to make bad decisions? Dannah Gresh’s practical experience and research, along with advice from her husband, Bob Gresh, provide a mom with six proactive ways to help her son, including honoring his body in a healthy way, getting outside to play unplugged, and living out his faith.

 There are two parts to the book.  Part One has 6 chapters on Becoming A Connecting Mom: Is There A Mouse in that Cookie Box, A Mom's Greatest Fears, Becoming a Connecting Mom, Why Connecting Matters, How Connecting Forms Values, and Warning: Male Brain on Testosterone Ahead.  The second part 6 Ways to Keep the Good in Your Boy has the following chapters: Way #1 Get Him Outside to Play. Way #2 Give Him Books S He Can Discover a Real Call of Duty, Way #3 Host Wing Nites and Fantasy Football Parties, Way #4 Celebrate His Entrance Into Manhood, Way #5 Unplug Him From a Plugged In World, Way #6 Let Him Open the Car Door For You.  The book also includes a conclusion and a bonus section titled Seeing the Gift of ADD and ADHD

The issues that are tackled in this book are definitely challenges that are facing families and boys today.  In her book, Ms. Gresh speaks candidly and in a very friendly conversational tone about issues boys are facing in our culture today and ways we as parents can combat those issues from a Biblical perspective. She also explains why boys are more susceptible to dealing with these types of issues and what we should be encouraging our boys to do.  For moms that are in the position of raising boys on their own, there are many tips/suggestions for what to do and how to handle raising boys on your own.  The fact that the book is written by a female author is a plus for the mamas reading it, and it is also very helpful to have the male perspective as well.

The book is not written from a homeschooling perspective.  That may not matter to some people but it may to some of my homeschooling readers.  I was shocked at the suggested ages for having specific conversations with your sons.  Then as I thought about it, those people with children in the public school system and a lot of outside influences will need to approach these topics at younger ages.  I personally believe that each family needs to prayerfully seek the Lord's wisdom and guidance for when these topics are approached and not broach subjects that are not yet necessary because an author of a book says to discuss it by age 7.   I also took offense to the comment on it being more true for SAHM/ homeschooling  moms spending too much time engaged in media and that their hearts are in the right place but their noses aren't (even though the author then says she's not pointing fingers just reporting what they learned by doing research.)  While I think there was a lot of good information in 6 Ways to Keep the Good in Your Boys, I don't think that any of her 6 ways was not already something I didn't know.

I received a complimentary copy of 6 Ways to Keep the Good in Your Boys for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.