As a new mother of one year old son, I'm completely clueless about how to raise boys. That's one of the reasons why I gravitate towards this book.

A lot of parenting books I've read seems to target a general POV on raising kids, but this one is specifically addressed to parents/ leaders/pastors/mentors that work with boys.

This is the kind of book you didn't think you'll need, but will actually help you A LOT. Coming from his own personal experience as a psychologist/counsellor, David Thomas seems to know an awful lot about how boys can regulate their emotions and offer step by step practical advice you could do to mentor them.

David Thomas addresses a lot of people from any kind of situation: there's advice for parents, single parents, even sub chapters specifically for fathers and mothers.

I also love how the author gives many outside (and free) examples of resources, something us as parents can take and apply it into our home(s).

This book should become a required reading for parents of young boys. I would also believe that pastor/youth leaders/coaches/ anyone who is working with young boys will benefit something out of this book.

Anyone whose life revolves around boys (moms, teachers, etc) know that they are a different "animal" than girls. They're physical and boisterous, but because of culturally ingrained stereotypes, they can sometimes fail to give voice to their emotions.

David Thomas's Raising Emotionally Strong Boys gives (mostly) parents a some insightful information for giving their young sons the resources they need to work through their emotions. There are many good, actionable tools to first identifying the feelings they have and extending that to finding ways to take control of these emotions in safe and responsible ways.

There's a strong Christian foundation to this book that I appreciated, and I found the "intentional practices" sections to be helpful. A good read for any parent--it's quick and easy and can be read in one or two sittings.

Thanks very much to Bethany House for proving a copy of this ARC to read in exchange for a review through NetGalley.