Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys (A Practical and Encouraging Guide to Christian Parenting)

We have two boys and love this book! Most books, you read and put it away. This book, you'll keep coming back to. We keep buying this book for gifts to parents who have and are having boys. It's so real and helpful. A must read if you have sons!

Awesome book full of practical insight for anyone who is raising a boy, young or old.

This book is a foundational book to me as a mom of 3 boys. It has truly changed my parenting so that I can raise them with a better understanding and expectation. I have given it and recommended to so many of my other Boy Mom friends and it's proven time and time again to be an amazing resource. I love the stories, info, practical applications, etc. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's a great Christian perspective and allows you to find the best solutions that fit your family without pigeon holing every boy and every parent into one way. So if something fits use it and if something doesn't don't. Love love love this book!!

I have recommended this book to numerous friends. I love how the authors provide information about how boys develop differently from the moment of conception. I love how the ages are broken down into groups and the authors give you information on what you can expect to see developmentally in your child, what your child needs, and practical tips to help you during that stage. This is a book I will keep until my boys are grown. I know I will pull it off the shelf during each stage my boys grow through, since my guys are only 4 and 2 at this point. The book is dripping with an itty bitty bit of bible truth ;) but if you aren't into the spiritual aspect I firmly believe this is still a must read for parents with boys. No matter what age your boy(s) is you can truly benefit from the insight and practical tips.

As a mom of 3 sons, one of my favorite books is "Wild At Heart". I have also read a few other books on parenting boys and wondered if this book would just feel like a repeat. It wasn't. Authors gave lots of insight and ideas. One of my favorite sections was on the importance of "rights of passage" and that chapter really got my wheels spinning for how we can celebrate their milestones. One area I do think they fell short was on the issue of media. I think they just barely scratched the surface with issues like pornography and "screen time". It deserved a long, full chapter of its own - or maybe even a book (hint hint authors):). I think they should have gone much further into this topic since it's become a loaded and complex one in our culture and even around the world and boys may be more prone to media addictions than any other segment of population because of how they are wired. Parents today are confused, and also exhausted in trying to figure out and follow through on media boundaries. The authors in this book suggested you don't let them watch more than they "play outside". That's not good enough, in my opinion. People need to be challenged to help their children think more critically on their own about media. Parents need to be given ideas with how to "wean" their boys off of media dependance. For example, one thing I've done with my boys is that on 2 days before Easter every year, we do a media "fast". That is so small a thing but it's one way to shut down and help our children learn to be less dependent on media. We do some really fun, special activities during that time and my boys actually look forward to it cuz mom and dad shut down too. We also don't do a DVD player in car except on trips because I want boys to have that down-time of looking out the window of a car and being unplugged. These are little things but parents are hungry for these kinds of conversations, I believe. As far as screen time, a good book I'm currently reading is called "The Plug In Drug." Originally written in the 1970s, it talks about the effects and consequences of too much screen time and how it has affected an entire culture and society. Really challenges the status quo and I love it - especially since it was first written before the internet, cell phones, tablets, iPads, etc... Seeing that people were even concerned back then should say something to us today. This book really gave a lot of good attention to the emotional health of boys which I thought was great. A chapter devoted to moms was super helpful to me and the breakdown of different stages of boys was also helpful. I liked this book so much that I already bought a copy and gave it to a cousin at a baby shower who was having her first son. Great book and I'm so thankful I bought it!

I absolutely loved this book! It has been so insightful in raising and understanding my boy.

Still reading this book after purchasing 11 years ago! Our oldest boy is 16 and middle son is 13. I recommend this book to every parent of boys. I have gifted this book to new parents having a baby boy & suggested it to every mama raising sons that I know! Exceptionally written. Great advice. Dads will appreciate it as well; My husband has! We recently moved and had packed up our books and things in storage for 4 months. Sadly this one made it into a box... I repurchased while the other copy was in storage; 100% worth having a copy or two! 😁 Worth the read. I am a better boy mom having this book.

I purchased this book because I have two elementary aged sons, one of whom will be a preteen soon, and I am trying to better understand how to relate to them both and nurture them. I wish I had purchased this book when they were babies because it would’ve helped then, too! I loved how the authors explained some of the science behind why boys do the things they do, the changes they go through at each stage of development, and give practical examples of how to guide and teach our sons along the way. As a woman, it’s sometimes difficult for me to fully understand why they do what they do, but the way the authors explained it made it make a lot more sense. And they also gave practical advice for how moms can be there for their sons without being over-bearing. This is a book I will probably refer back to as my sons grow into each stage. It gave so much information, wisdom, and practical application that will be helpful to mothers and fathers alike.

If you are serious about encouraging and developing the boys and young men in your life- GET THIS BOOK!! It’s honestly brilliant and has opened my eyes to male development and gives very practical ways to assist your boy from childhood into manhood! I’d give it 10⭐️ if possible!

Has been so helpful in understanding & loving my 4 year old better!

If you have a son, want a son, know/coach/teach a boy, have a brother, a husband, a male friend... read this book! It has revolutionized the way that I think about raising my boy. Not only that, it gave me some amazing insight into some of the characteristics that my husband has had to fight off and grow out of as he has become the head of his own household. It's not overly spiritual, so if you're not a Christian it's still a great read- you won't feel disconnected from the advice. It does take the time to connect the spirit, heart, and head, which we so often forget to do with boys. Every word sat well with me, as I ran it all through my filter it felt right and real. I could immediately put into practice some of their tips, which are laid out quite clearly at the end of every chapter. I will definitely pursue these authors in the future- they are practical, knowledgeable, and easy to read. This could make a great baby gift- I know I could have used it years ago! It's a book I cannot lend out, as I will likely need to read it over and over again. I have recommended it to many of the parents I know, and will continue to do so.

It has a nice split of the topics, it disengaged me when it divided behaviours between girls and boys, purely by gender. What about sensitive boys? What about active girls?.. It lost me with the phrase, educating a boy is like training a dog. I found it extremely basic, outdated, lack of scientific basis (refers to studies but doesnt provide any reference to those) and nothing on current trends i.e. gentle parenting, asseriveness, etc.

This is a great resource for the different seasons we are walking through with our son.