Raising Boys

Raising Boys is a great book for parents of boys. I listen to James Dobson "Focus On the Family" on the news radio when I commute to work a decade ago. I admire his ability to communicate ideas so effectively through radio and writing.

In this book, he painted a horrible picture describing the hostile environment for boys to grow up. The disappearing father role, feminism, failing school systems, and um, lifestyles different from the traditional family make it difficult to raise boys to become upright men.

The father... is so important for boys. Come on, guys, don't abandon your kids. Statistics paint horrible picture: kids without fathers are likely to be resentful criminals. Even if the fathers don't provide food and shelter, some fathers don't pay enough attention to the boys. There is an account of the author talking to a 50+ year old man, in tears, telling him the story of his father not ever show up in his football games and even if he does, he didn't stay to watch him play. Look dads, pay attention to your kids achievements!

Idiot dads think they'll spoil kids if they give them encouraging words when they win something. WRONG. I WILL tell my son I am proud of him if he accomplishes something, and I WILL show up in his sports events (or chess tournaments) if he is into those.

Look, the family structure is so important. The statistics of the number of single mom/dad families are quite saddening. Yes, there are arguments, but please don't give up taking care of the kids.

Failing school systems bother me. I shake my head whenever I read statistics about dropouts and that kids are so incapable. Some of the teachers are gosh so incapable that they can't even divide fractions. COME ON. The public elementary schools do the same stuff year after year and students still don't know anything.

Dobson believes school can wait, and home schooling is great. He thinks some boys are not capable of sit still and listen until older, and all they can get from schools are ideas that promote feminism and homosexuality agendas and therefore hostile. I beg to differ on this point: I do not think the parents should act dual roles as teachers and kids need to learn how to get along with other kids.

Yes, boys need parents, especially a loving father.

Good fathers already knows this, and most bad fathers probably never read something like this.

You do not need to be a PhD or read volumes to find out how to be a good parent. Your parents probably didn't read a whole lot about parenting either (and yet you turn out to be a reasonably good kid right?) If you grew up correctly, you know what to do. It is instinct.