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Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys
Playing off the themes in the Caldecott Medal-winning children's book "Where the Wild Things Are, " this informative, practical, and encouraging guide will help parents guide boys down the path to healthy and authentic manhood. "Wild Things" addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of a boy, written by two therapists who are currently enga...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
February 1st 2009
by Tyndale House Publishers
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I have been reading "Wild Things" and being the mother of 3 boys myself I am very impressed by what I have read so far. The book is broken down into different age groups of boys and I have Stephen in The Lovers group (5-8 years) and Philip in The Individual group (9-12). They nailed Stephen to a tee and Philip is pretty close (he is also not your typical boy). Each age group is then broken into:
1) The Way of a Boy
2) The Mind of a Boy
3) The Heart of a Boy
And the...more
1) The Way of a Boy
2) The Mind of a Boy
3) The Heart of a Boy
And the...more
Although I don't have any boys of my own I thought "Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys" by Stephen James and David Thomas sounded interesting. I am glad I read it. The book is full of wonderful stories and I was frequently chuckling or laughing while reading. I learned a great deal about myself. The book is divided into three parts: The way of the boy; the mind of the boy; and the heart of the boy. Boys proceed through five distinct stages on the way to manhood: Explorer, Lover, In...more
Skimmed several books on raising boys in today's world and this was the one I settled on reading through. Authors are Christians (or so it was advertised on Amazon) and children psychologists and, most importantly fathers to boys, but their sensitive, practical, easy-to-understand science, not heavy-handed with the religiosity and not unrealistically Christian fundamentalist (like Dobson's Raising Boys which I did NOT care for) approach was ideal. Will be the book I recommend to other moms sea...more
Good book for anybody who has a son or had a little brother. Gives you a lot of insight for when you are dealing with a boy (at various stages in his life). It makes helpful suggestions, and made me laugh outloud more than once. Consistently reminds you not to try and shove anyone into a mold. We need to remember to see the individual and not expect them to follow society-cultural dictates like zombies.
I am loving this book! The first part is broken up by age/ stage so I will have this on my nightstand for many years. I appreciate the practical advice based on biblical living. The latter half of the book goes through the physical and emotional development of boys. This is helping me understand and therefore parent better my wild 2 year old. Highly recommend for any mother of boys.
Dave Thomas and Stephen James are renowned in Nashville for their "Raising Boys" class through Daystar Ministries. I could not wait to read the book (I haven't been able to attend the class) and it did not disappoint. It's full of good knowledge and and practical suggestions presented in a non-complex format. If you have read Michael Guiran's books on boys (like "The Wonder of Boys"), it's along the same lines but with slightly more of a spiritual perspective. This is a must-have for a paren...more
Great book to read if you are a parent to a boy. Helped understand how God made them and how we can celebrate that, not quench it! It could have had more details in certain areas and been arranged a bit better, but my husband and I felt we learned a lot about raising our 3 year old boy from this book.
I haven't read very many books about raising a child (this is my second one, so I'm averaging one a year...), and I am glad I chose to read this one. It really provided so much insight into a boy's mind and how they learn differently from girls and how they are chemically different from girls. It broke out a boy's development into 5 different stages, starting with ages 2-4 and working up to ages 18-22 - I definitely plan to read this book as Tristan enters each stage. It is written by two Chr...more
borrowed and read from the library, now off to buy my own copy. having 3 boys and dog-flapped so many pages for ideas, insight, advice, etc.this is going to come in very handy today and in the years to come. i only wish this was published several years ago. the authors did a superb job
Love, love, love this book. Down to earth, written from experience, funny, easy to read, immensely insightful. I recommend this book to anyone that has a son, or that works boys. I've read a lot of books about raising boys and this one is my favorite.
Enjoyed this book. Great anecdotes. As a father of three young boys it gave me confidence that my household is as much of a war/hurricane zone as any other house full of boys. I have used the understanding here to encourage my boys to be boys.
This book surprised me, I wasn't sure if I would get anything from a "how to/self help" book. But, I did! I saved pages to copy, I had a chapter to show Chris, and it basically made me terrified of my boys becoming teenagers!! I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. It is so interesting to think about my daily actions and behavior and how they will shape the jobs the kids get or whom they marry, or anything about it!
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I only wish this could be "required reading" for all parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, friends - - - well, you get the picture. It is excellent. My other wish is that we'd had it four decades or so ago! ;-))
Boys. SO tender yet (on occasion) completely crazy making, too. This is a loving look at the different stages of development and offers sweet observations about their inner and outer lives. Like "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee" there is a religious component to this book but never in a heavy handed or front and center way. There is something for everyone here and I appreciated the humor with which its message (and tips!) was delivered: Boys do not need to be tamed- they need to be firs...more
Anna
rated it
Recommends it for:
All parents of boys
Recommended to Anna by:
Tina Cornell
Shelves:
parenting
Great book to learn about what is going on inside a boy's head. I got this from the library, but I think it's one that I am going to buy to have on hand as Nano grows up. Very practical, written from a Christian perspective but useful for parents of any faith.
I have found this book to be well-written, insightful, and not too biased towards one particular religious/social philosophy. This will be one that I refer to again and again.
I'm usually not a fan of parenting books, but as the mama of two little wild things who challenge, encourage, and complete me daily, this title grabbed my eye. I read it quickly, and although there were some nuggets of wisdom, I thought most of it was pretty common-sense. Basically, honor your boy's uniqueness. Well, duh. I'm thinking that's just good parenting philosophy, whether you're raising girls or boys.
(Minor editorial peeve: The authors take turns telling anecdotes throughout,...more
(Minor editorial peeve: The authors take turns telling anecdotes throughout,...more
Stacey
rated it
Recommends it for:
parents of boys
Recommended to Stacey by:
MOPS
Shelves:
parenting
Good book-- I would like to own this one. The authors break their advice into ages--which is helpful to identify where my boys are (Caleb is an explorer, and Eli is a lover). Also makes me a little trepidatious (spell check tells me that isn't a word) about where they are going. Unlike my overly negative experience with Bringing up Boys by Dobson, I believe my guys have more than a fighting chance. I particularly appreciated the chapter on boys and their moms. I also love the idea of rituals in...more
I loved this book and will definitely re-read it. It made me so thankful that we get to share our lives with our boys! I especially appreciated the "Tips" at the end of each chapter - the authors give practical suggestions on applying principles in REAL-life.
This book helped me understand the how and why when it comes to the behavior of my little boys. It makes me smile.
Absolutely priceless book. I have gained so much insight into my son, my brother & my husband. HIGHLY recommended!!!
Anyone who has a boy needs, no, must have this book. It is truly like an owner's manual and guide to attempting to understand the behaviors of "the boy".
This book had some unique ideas and helpful suggestions. It also helped me understand my son soooo much more.
Great insights into the mind and heart of a little boy and how to help him grown into a strong confident man. I have work to do :)
If you are raising a son; read this book.. better yet, do a book club about it! You won't regret it:)
This book was well-written and easy to read, with a lot of really good information about navigating the difficulties of parenting a boy from childhood through adulthood. I'd recommend it for anyone with a son, especially if he is over 2 years old. I will probably read it again in a few years!
Great reference book that I'll keep referring to over the years. I really liked this one.
This book is so well written and was a huge encouragement in raising our little boy.
I really enjoyed this book. It provides insight into the various stages of development in a boys life, from infant to teenager and beyond. While written from a Christian perspective, I did not find it preachy at all and appreciated that they addressed and considered normal stages of development considered taboo by many Christian writings. I will definitely be rereading this every couple of years as my son continues to grow.
I read this to better understand the boys I teach; I highly recommend it for parents of boys. The authors have lots of sensible insight and suggestions.
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