Boys....

I'm finally getting around to reading a book my sister gave me a few years ago. Those of you from Kansas City might remember Dr. James Dobson. He had a little excerp on the news where he would give advice on various different things regarding family. It was called Focus on the Family. Well, he wrote a couple of books about raising boys. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend them. He has some good things to say about raising kids. Here are a few excerpts:



"...One of the scariest aspects of raising boys is their tendency to risk life and limb for no good reason. It begins very early. If a toddler can climb on it, he will jump off it. He careens out of control toward tables, tubs, pools, steps, trees, and streets. He will eat anything but food and loves to play in the toilet. He makes "guns" out of cucumbers or tooth brushes and likes digging around in drawers, pill bottles, and Mom's purse....A boy harasses grumpy dogs and picks up kitties by their ears. His mom has to watch him every minute to keep him from killing himself. He loves to throw rocks, play with fire, and shatter glass. He also gets great pleasure out of irritating his brothers and sisters, his mother, his teachers, and other children...."

Here's another one I think most of us don't think about:

"...A child should not be punished for behavior that is not willfully defiant. When he forgets to feed the dog or make his bed or take out the trash...when he leaves your tennis racket outside in the rain or loses his bicycle, remember that these behaviors are typical of childhood. It is, more than likely, the mechanism by which an immature mind is protected from adult anxieties and pressures..."