Having only boys I felt this one was very beneficial. It gave me so many useful tips to help my boys grow up to be strong but be allowed to show emotion.

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys was a really informative book about the mental and emotional facets of raising boys. I really appreciated it and am thankful for a copy through Netgalley to review. This is something I will be re-reading regularly as a single mom to 2 boys. It poses a main question: "How can you help raise your sons to handle difficult emotions and process complex ideas of masculinity?" And it answered - what a great resource. I will come back to it often in the future. David Thomas introduces a foundational concept throughout the book: The Three Rs, Recognize, Regulate, and Repair. This is really helpful. There are action steps at the end of each chapter which drive the thesis of that chapter home further - extremely helpful. And last I appreciated most perhaps is that Christ is our model for masculinity, not tradition or culture. Jesus experienced the full range of human emotions - we do too - and so do our children. This includes our boys! It is a relief to know we can point our boys to Christ as a true example of masculinity and to learn to be human, rather than the messages of the culture, society, pressures, etc. Bravo to this book. I will be re-reading this book regularly.

I grew up with a sister and pretty much knew nothing about boys. Lo and behold, I ended up having TWO boys and my sister has three. So as a parent, boy life is all I know. I read Wild Things by Stephen James and David Thomas a couple of years ago, and was so excited to read David Thomas' latest book, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys.

This book is written from an unapologetically Christian perspective, and I found it so encouraging and helpful. One thing I really enjoyed about Wild Things was the authors' encouragement to let boys be boys. I know that phrase gets a bad rap (and rightfully so). Boys shouldn't be boys in a bad way, or an unaccountable way, but rather in a "let's let boys tap into their God-given tendencies" sort of way. Let's encourage boys to both strong and caring, physical and emotional, thoughtful and ambitious. Hey, this is starting to sound like traits girls want to pursue! And I think that is sort of the point. Boys aren't just physical, and they don't just need to nourish their ambitious side or their athletic achievements. We all need to be well rounded human beings. A specific approach for that differs based on gender, on how God made us.

This book has many practices to put in place for boys of all ages, to help them consider how to grow and be healthy, not just physically, but also mentally and spiritually. Though the author has suggestions for how to incorporate activities/conversations for younger boys, I think this book will really be applicable when my boys are a bit older (maybe late elementary school/middle school). I'm not letting myself off the hook now though - I think starting conversations about mental health and exploring your feelings and how to express them early on is important. It can be awkward for parents based on their upbringing, so I guess if we start now it may get easier or at least more normal over time. I'm definitely going to have my husband read this book and will be recommending it to other boy parents.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

What an important book! I am so glad this was written and that I could read it. I will be recommending this for Christian parents, especially and specifically those with boys. There is nothing a mother wants more than to raise an emotionally strong boy - one tuned into his feelings and emotions with maturity. This offers practical advice and anecdotes and will be a classic to come.

Raising children is terrifying, and if you are like me, you have no idea what you are doing.

I don't read "self-help" books, but when I saw this on Netgalley, I thought, why the heck not. I'll give it a whirl.

I have a 16 year old and being a kid these days is hard!

I took the title as my intro and, like always, didn't read the synopsis, so I didn't realize this was a faith-based book. There was quite a bit of scripture, which certainly may resonate with some, but it did not resonate with me.

That being said, I kept an open mind throughout and did find some interesting ideas. Unfortunately, they were also forgettable, so I'm not sure how much I'll put things into practice. But, I do think many could find this book helpful, and I'm glad I read it.

This book has some really great ideas to raising emotionally strong boys. Honestly, I didn't appreciate as much as I expected the "boys" nature of the book. I guess I don't see a lot of the focus on "boys" to relate to my son. And some of that makes sense as kids are different, and even the author recognizes that not all boys are the same, only that his experience has suggested significant overlap in many areas. The plus side was that many of the suggestions are likely to work even if my son is less "physical" than other boys, and many of the suggestions will hopefully work well for my daughter, who seems to share more of those traits more often associated with boys.

I really like how the author expects that the boys in question can grow emotionally strong and doesn't expect them to do it by themselves. It will make a world of difference if we can model emotional strength as parents/adults that the boys have in their lives.

Might be the BEST book I have read on raising boys. And I’ve read lot of them. So practical and so helpful. I highlighted half the book, I think, and will definitely keep this in my reread arsenal being that I am raising 3 boys. Have already recommended it to quite a few people. Must read.

I did not finish this book. I am sorry. I got excited when I started my netgalley account this past year and should not have clicked request on so many. I got very overwhelmed and I won’t make this mistake again. Sorry again! I hope this doesn’t hinder me for the future with netgalley.

I've recommended this enough times that I'm starting to sound like a parrot! Got boys? Get this book! Have an audible credit? Get this book! Both my husband and I found it to be a practical and hopeful tool in our parenting arsenal! Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build on For Life by David Thomas is a fantastic resource for parents and other people of influence for boys. This book is written by an expert, not just in study, but an expert with first hand experience with boys of all ages. The author quickly highlights the difficulties of working with boys and simplifies the issues quickly. This book is great for working with boys of all ages. It is a book to read again and again as we train our boys. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I'm still a bit in shock at all that this book packs in. It's incredibly comprehensive and jam-packed with very practical tools and ideas. The author doesn't leave you wondering how to implement this or that strategy. He gives multiple examples with boys of various ages and issues. I'll be buying a hard copy to highlight and refer to regularly as we navigate the years ahead with our boys.

I read my netgalley copy and borrowed the audio book, narrated very well by the author, from my library, and each chapter was better than the last. He challenges moms, he challenges dads, in areas of common tendencies, where we can learn to do a better job. His goal is to help us challenge and support the kids we care so deeply about. To learn new skills, and exercise them, so that coping, regulating, and functional living become more natural. Not easy, because it is work, but closer to a default setting than meltdowns, outbursts, or shutdowns.

It's not a 'how to fix my kid' book. It's a 'How to build an emotionally strong and healthy family' book, with an emphasis on the needs boys have most commonly.

You're probably going to want to implement everything at once because it's loaded with good stuff. But I would caution you, pick one or MAYBE 2 things, and get the hang of them, first, before adding another.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and chose to review it here. Also listened to the audio through my library/hoopla account. All thoughts are my own.

Excellent book! I know I will be purchasing it to keep on hand myself. I appreciate the interplay between research, neuroscience, and practical tips for helping my son. Will definitely be recommending to others raising boys and be implementing some of the tips he mentions in the book! If you have a boy, this is a great resource!

Book received from NetGalley for an honest review!

This was a great book full of insight into a growing boy and tools to help him grow into a man whose emotions don't control him he can control his emotions.

I felt this was some sound advice and truly helpful and easy to do. I never felt overwhelmed reading this or confused it was very straight forward and rich in wisdom.

I had a lot of moments of yes finally something useful! I've read a lot of parenting books but this is the first boy directed parenting book and it was everything I need.

I like how each chapter ended with some homework a how to apply what we just talked about. It was good for not just reading and gaining knowledge how to help my son grow but to actually do it.

I would definitely recommend this to other parents of boys.

Let's start this off by saying I'm a mama who has 3 girls and then a boy! Girls I understand. I get it. I lived it and now I'm raising them. But then my little boy came along and I realized raising boys and girls is very different! I'm so thankful for David's book!! It's helped me better understand boys and their ideas and emotions. I truly love that it adds in the religious aspect. This was so insightful! I'll definitely be referring back as my son gets older. He's only 5 now so I can see this being especially helpful the next few years! The advice is applicable and easy to implement! Great parenting book!!

Raising boys who are emotionally strong in this cultural environment is not easy. David Thomas has offered a process to help. Written with a therapist’s pen Thomas gives simple advice and methods that can immediately be implemented by parents at home. He covers the adolescent’s journey with helpful implantation steps at the conclusion of every chapter. The author pushed back on what he describes as traditional masculine stereotypes that some readers may be uncomfortable with. It is a measured push back without the extremes found in similar books. Although not the best book written on this topic, David Thomas has produced a solid piece that would be a helpful secondary book for parents to add to their collection.

Absolutely fantastic book. It was a delight to hear David narrate it, and I learned so much. I do believe the principles he shares could be employed for daughters as well, and all parents can learn much about themselves, as well as new tactics for reaching our son's hearts. Excellent book.

This book seemed to come to me at just the right time! I love how its a fairly easy and quick read, but has lots of nuggets and tips. The chapters are organized well with action items at the end of each chapter. This book actually prompted us to go out and get some boxing gloves for my son (for him to box the couch when frustrated). I think this is a book I will read and re-read. Great for parents of young kids all the way up to young adults. I love how this also incorporates Christian teaching and morality throughout the book. It would be helpful for secular and non secular readers, but it's great to have a modern parenting book that has a Biblical anchor.

David Thomas is an amazing resource if you are helping raise little boys. His years of experience boiled down to helpful, relatable, and applicable advice is wonderful. The 3 R’s are a practical and helpful tool for parents. I highly reccomend this book!

I did not find this book helpful. Perhaps it’s because my son is only a toddler and not emotionally developed as of yet but the message is unclear. I read half way and then abandoned the book.

This book is a must for parents and guardians of boys! I loved the insight and wisdom that is packed into this small book.