Books on Parenting Preteen Boys
Between the ages of 8 and 12, preteen boys face an influx of transitions, ranging from rapid physical growth to revolving friendships to escalating peer pressure. Boys and parents often find it confounding to successfully navigate these natural developments. In a period where peers and pop culture have more sway than parents, these eight books offer practical tips on understanding the physical and emotional changes, breaking through the self-absorption and opening the lines of communication.
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Emotional Development
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In ̶0;The Everything Tween Book: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Turbulent Preteen Years,̶1; Dr. Linda Sonna offers constructive advice and realistic solutions to help parents prepare for this tumultuous phase in a young boy's life. The book covers a range of ordinary issues, including moodiness, grades, friendships and feelings.
Parents and preteen boys will also find inspiration in the true-life pages of both volumes of ̶0;Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul: 101 Stories of Changes, Choice and Growing Up for Kids Ages 9-13̶1; by Jack Canfield et al.
Physical Changes
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A boy's body experiences rapid growth that is often difficult for him to understand and uncomfortable for parents to explain. Using colorful illustrations and offering straight answers, nurse Kelli Dunham supplies insights into the life changes preteen boys experience in ̶0;The Boy's Body Book.̶1;
With the ̶0;Boy̵7;s Guide to Becoming a Teen,̶1; the American Medical Association provides straightforward information on everything from nutrition, skincare and body image to the reproductive system, physical changes and romantic feelings.
Life Skills
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Written from a mom̵7;s perspective, Dannah Gresh explores how modern mothers can most effectively teach their preteen sons what it requires to become confident, respectful, honorable and spiritual young men in ̶0;Six Ways to Keep the ̵6;Good' in Your Boy: Guiding Your Son from His Tweens to His Teens.̶1;
William Brozo's ̶0;To be a Boy, to be a Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Literacy̶1; encourages parents to introduce their sons to positive male archetypes, comic books and graphic novels in order to increase academic achievements.
Communication
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̶0;Boys of Few Words: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect̶1; packs in plenty of punchy anecdotes, direct advice, helpful checklists, useful prompts and witty conversation starters that parents can use to get their tight-lipped tween sons talking. Child psychologist Adam Cox also guides readers through channeling the natural anger, aggression and competitiveness that overtakes preteen boys.
In ̶0;5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son,̶1; Vicki Courtney outlines several strategies that parents can use to jumpstart a handful of difficult but necessary discussions with their boys.
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"Stop fighting! Leave your sister alone! Ive had enough of this arguing!" Parents often bark orders to end arguing as a cure-all for sibling squabbles, but you may find these statements ineffective -- especially in the long term. Some bicke
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Mohawks, named after the fierce Indian warriors who initiated them, are a fashion statement in some circles. Rather than just taking the clippers and hacking away, take a bit of time to carefully consider the type of Mohawk that would look best on a
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Generally, biting the inside of the mouth happens accidentally and it causes a cringe of pain when it occurs. Sometimes, people develop a disorder that involves causing physical injury or damage to the self, known as body-focused repetitive disorders
