Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons

As the father of three daughters, I really admired Meg Meeker's "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters". Since I also have three sons, I was happy to read her new book "Boys Should Be Boys". Note that her first book had 10 secrets every father should know. This book has 7 secrets to raising healthy sons. I guess boys are simpler creatures. The main thrust of the book is that boys need to explore, test their limits, and this can often lead to scrapes, bruises, dirty clothes, and even a broken bone or two. However, in our obsession to protect boys from their natural tendencies, we cosset them in a toxic environment of video games, online pseudo relationships, sexual influences from TV, movies, and the Web, and give them everything but our personal time and attention. Then we wonder why they have ADHD, stunted emotional growth, and difficulty in transitioning to manhood. The point of the book is not to blame parents, but to alert them to the dangers, to what it is that boys need, and to help them realize the extra effort that must be applied to raising their sons in order to counter the awful societal influences that are drowning our boys. The book has twelve chapters and the first is an overview of this problem. The next seven go over the seven areas we need to pay attention to in raising our sons and grandsons. The second chapter discusses that we need to help our boys through the difficulties of peer pressure. While this is true in every generation, since our time is particularly toxic towards boys we need to be very careful about the influences and values being taught to them. The third discusses the natural tendency of boys to explore the woods, climb trees, play rough sports, and other `dangerous' activities. This is what boys SHOULD be doing. Meeker points out the health neighborhood games when teams are formed with boys of different ages and they have to work out leadership and test their limits versus the packaged formal team sports where every boy is the same age and the parents run everything including protecting the boys from winning and losing. The fourth chapter explores the dangers of boys getting lost in the world of electronics. While there is nothing wrong with computers, iPods, or other electronic devices in and of themselves, there are very bad influences there that they need to be kept from. They also must not be allowed to become addicted to them and the influences they can find there. Spending vast numbers of hours on video games, online `relationships', and who knows what else, is a very bad thing for growing boys. They need real world friends, experiences, and skill development - especially social skills. The fifth deals with societal animosity towards teenage boys. I know some will scream that this is not true because they are thinking of the kind of moody, depressed, and angry boy they have created and then want to fix. This kind of moody teenager is much more a media creation and now a societal real

I'm a parent of 3 and the oldest being a boy.I'm encouraged when she talks about parents being the #1 influence in a boy's life and not peer pressure. I agree that boys are over scheduled with organized sports and spend too much time playing violent video games. I feel empowered to encourage my son to spend time in the great outdoors pretending he's hunting wild animals and building tree forts. I especially love when she talks about it's not "all about me" but putting others 1st and teaching him to serve those in need. Let's teach them honesty,humility,kindness and self respect. That "raising him from the inside out" Thank you, Dr. Meeker for all your words of wisdom.

As an elementary school principal, I see boys who are being "smothered" and whose well meaning "helicopter mom" is crushing them. Our educational system is primarily female at the elementary level and these incredible educators need to know what boys are like. Boys are not disfunctional girls. This is a great book that brings together some of the most sound advice on helping boys become men.

Having raised three boys and one daughter, I find Dr. Meeker's latest book filled not only with wisdom and accuracy, but also timely and enjoyable. Boys are indeed a different breed. I find this to be true in my own family. Once again, Dr. Meeker hits the nail on the head with her practical and insightful writing. As a practicing pediatrician and mother, Dr. Meeker offers a unique perspective that most authors lack. A great read for all.

I am a mother of two boys 9 and 12 and this book is helping me have adifferent attitude. yes, we are different. Both males and females think differently, act differently, and have different needs. It does not mean one of us is better. Very informative and easy to read. I read another book by this author and I think she explains concepts in a plain and understandable way. Great book for both mothers and fathers.