Discussion from Chapters 3 & 4

In Chapter 3, Dr. Dobson explains some of the internal "wiring" that makes boys different from girls. We discussed this briefly, commenting on how amazing God's handiwork is. He DID create some major differences in boys and girls! We shouldn't expect them to act or react the same to identical situations.

Our discussion of Chapter 4 began with this insight, "Are boys more likely to do everything dangerous, risky, or stupid?" It sure seems like it, according to Dobson. But why is that? We traced most (if not all) of the "bad" behaviors back to the lack of inhibition/fear, or the aggresive nature of boys, both inherent in their make-up. So we took some time discussing how we, as parents, can help our boys slow down and think...or differentiate when it is OK to take the risk/be aggressive, and when you can't. Any suggestions?

We also touched on Dobson's idea of body image affecting (or wounding) boys. We, as women, tended to see girls as the main victims of the media's onslaught of false images of beauty or "perfection". We chatted about the boxes that society puts boys in (according to their image)...emo, metro, homosexual, jock, brainy, I'm sure there's more I'm leaving out. How can a boy just be himself without having to align himself with a particular group? How can we, as moms, encourage our boys to be the man God wants him to be (all his gifts, talents, looks, and personality traits included)? How do we protect our boys from the world's false ideals of "manliness" and prevent their spirits from becoming abused or wounded (as Dobson refers to it) without making him feel victimized beyond the immediate circumstances?

Any helpful thoughts? Comments? Encouragement?

Look forward to reading your insights...and meeting with you next Wednesday night (6/25) to cover Chapters 5 & 6.