Boy Mom

This guidebook, packed with wisdom, practical advice, resources, and encouragement, explores how moms can equip their sons with what they most need to succeed in life. Monica Swanson knew she'd tapped a heartfelt concern when nearly two million readers shared her blog post "What a Teenage Boy Needs Most from His Mom." In this helpful book, she takes mothers deeper into the insights they need for the boy-raising journey, covering topics from dealing with the daily influences of friends and technology to helping a boy grow to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. She also addresses learning and finding passions, perspectives on relationships and dating, and work ethics and money management. Each chapter features relatable stories, handy checklists, and practical advice based on a combination of research, experience, and biblical truth to guide and equip a mom in helping her son achieve his God-given potential. Praise for Boy Mom “In Boy Mom Monica Swanson offers readers practical advice and resounding hope that parenting our sons well through all seasons is not only possible but also enjoyable. This book is like an essential trail guide that I’ll refer to again and again in the beautiful and challenging adventure of motherhood.” --Becky Keife, author of No Better Mom for the Job and mom of three spirited boys “Monica Swanson is the friend we all need in our lives: humble, straightforward, warm, full of wisdom, and short on nonsense--and she knows her stuff like no one else. In Boy Mom she holds the bar high yet is forthcoming about her own struggles and imperfections. Inside these pages you’ll find deeply rooted biblical and practical advice along with calls to action when you don’t know where to start. The Boy Mom Manifesto at the end will not only inspire you but also make your heart swell.” --Kate Merrick, author of Here, Now: Unearthing Peace and Presence in an Overconnected World “Monica Swanson is the ultimate Boy Mom mentor. While her perspective on parenting is grounded in biblical wisdom, each chapter holds excellent practical tools for how to work out that wisdom on a daily basis in our homes. Of course, we know there aren’t formulas that will ensure we get it all right, but we also know that gleaning wisdom from women who have gone before us (and are still in the trenches with us) is invaluable in the wonderful adventure of helping boys become all God created them to be.” --Jeannie Cunnion, author of Mom Set Free ...

“Boy Mom is packed with relevant insights and practical advice to help parents intentionally raise young men of character, honor, and strength. Parents today face unprecedented challenges, and Monica’s heartfelt encouragement as a mom in the trenches is timely for a generation that longs for moral direction.”—Kari Kampakis, mom of four girls and author of 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know 
 
“All who are parents, especially Boy Moms, will devour this book! Monica Swanson shares from her experience of raising four boys. Her transparency, candor, tears, and prayers have led to a book full of wisdom and incredible insight into what a boy needs to reach his destiny.”—Stephanie Fast, fellow Boy Mom, author of She Is Mine, speaker, and advocate for vulnerable children 
 
“Every time I told my dad I was pregnant with another boy, he responded with ‘That’s wonderful! The world needs more godly men.’ I couldn’t agree more. Thankfully, Monica has written a guide to help you partner with God to raise these needed men of character. In the pages of Boy Mom, you will find a wise mentor who understands the challenge of energetic boys and points you to truth and resources to help you be the kind of Boy Mom you want to be.”—Heather MacFadyen, mom of four boys and creator and host of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast 
 
“As a Boy Dad, this is the book I’ve been searching for. These are the wise words of a fun friend, written clearly enough to provide a blueprint for success in parenting and accessibly enough that I don’t feel alone in the journey. Through Boy Mom Monica is helping me become a better dad.”—Roger Thompson, author of We Stood Upon Stars 
 
“Monica Swanson casts a profoundly inspiring vision for the lives of our boys and the depth of our role as Boy Moms in shaping who they become. Each chapter is well researched, informative, and brimming with invaluable advice, strategies, and insight that left me feeling more capable than ever to help my sons live healthy, curiosity-­driven, Jesus-­centered lives. Perhaps the most powerful endorsement of this book is my personal testimony: it works! In just a few short weeks, I have seen my relationships with my ‘gentlemen in training’ grow in respect, communication, and trust—and the same goes for their relationships with their sister and father.”—Hoku Clements, recording artist known for “Perfect Day” and “Another Dumb Blonde,” as well as the albumCalled by Name

Auteur

MONICA SWANSON and her husband, Dave (a hospital physician), are raising four sons on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. They have graduated one son, and homeschool the other three, and they spend much of their free time supporting their sons' competitive surfing and enjoying all that Hawaii has to offer. Monica's background is in sports medicine and fitness, and she shares inspiration for balanced living, as well as recipes, stories, and a ton of encouragement for families on her blog at MonicaSwanson.com.

Échantillon de lecture

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What Matters Most?

Keeping the Big Picture in mind is one of the most important things parents can do, and also one of the hardest.

*—Dr. T. Berry Brazelton

• As I pulled my minivan into the cul-de-sac, tears surged up from the deepest part of me, just begging a chance to escape. I forced them back, turned off the car, and got out with a sigh. Opening the back door, I lifted out the baby’s car seat and gazed down at Jonah, who had screamed through most of the playgroup and even more during the drive home, only to fall asleep as we entered our own neighborhood. Typical. Next I walked around to unbuckle three-year-old Josiah and lift him from his toddler seat. The happy sparkle in his eyes made me smile, but at the same time a single tear snuck out and slid down my cheek. I brushed it away quickly, but not quickly enough; Josiah’s smile turned to concern as he asked, “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

“Oh, nothing!” I forced a laugh and said something about the sun in my eyes, which must have satisfied him, because he turned and skipped toward the house. I paused a moment before following him and repeated his question out loud: “What is wrong, Mommy?” Then I continued the conversation in my head: I’m failing at this whole mom thing. That’s what’s wrong. Failing. I’ve got the one job I’ve always dreamed of, and I can’t get the first thing right.

As I entered the house and got the boys settled, the list of my shortcomings ran through my mind again—a list that seemed to grow each week at playgroup. On this day I’d listened to one mom humble-bragging about the baby food she had made and how it “wasn’t nearly as good as the last batch.” (I’d never made homemade baby food. What was wrong with me?) Then a boy just a few months older than Josiah plopped down in his mom’s lap with a book and started reading to her. A three-year-old. Reading! (It hadn’t even occurred to me to try teaching Josiah when he was so …