Raising Emotionally Strong Boys

Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life

Cover Art

Where to Purchase

More Options

About

About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers . . .

Some say that's just how boys are--prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues?

Drawing from twenty-five years of counseling boys and working with parents, David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be

● Resourceful--equipped to work through his emotions in constructive ways
● Aware--so that he better understands himself, including his strengths and weaknesses
● Resilient--having the capacity to cope and feel competent
● Empathetic--able to understand the feelings and experiences of others

Helpful also for grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who has a boy in their life, this book shows how a strong emotional foundation leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity that will serve him well his whole life.

Also available: Strong and Smart, a companion workbook to help boys understand themselves better and learn how to work through overwhelming emotions--all from a biblical perspective.

Endorsements

David Thomas is someone I go to as a resource when it comes to parenting--especially parenting a boy. His wisdom, insight, and kindness are unparalleled. Raising Emotionally Strong Boys is a book I will keep as an ongoing reference. Thank you for writing this book, David!

Rachel Cruze, #1 New York Times bestselling author, host of The Rachel Cruze Show

For the past decade, David Thomas has been my go-to boy expert. His newest book, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, unlocked a new level of understanding my four sons. Based on years of counseling boys, David provides insight and practical activities to gently guide you in knowing how to help your son name, regulate, and respond appropriately to his emotions.

Heather MacFadyen, author of Don't Mom Alone, host of the Don't Mom Alone Podcast

This book is the most impactful, practical, and applicable playbook for raising young men that we have read to date. Our boys will face opponents called pressures, stresses, disappointments,
expectations, shame, guilt, anger, sadness, fury, and the fear of not measuring up. Yet with this training manual, we have a plan to champion them as they grow in character with both strength and pliability (tenderness). David, we cannot thank you enough, friend, for coming alongside parents with the truth that these young men can out-score those opponents when they realize the resources surrounding and within them are always greater than what is against them.

Tim and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, college sweethearts, parents of three children; NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst; Emmy Award winner and bestselling author

We've been through deep pain and deeper resilience in our story, but one of our main concerns is how our boys will internalize it all in their own stories. We're so grateful for guides like David--and this book--who help equip us as we humbly parent our kids into the reality that life can be hard but it can also be good, and that what happens to them matters far less than how they respond to it.

Katherine and Jay Wolf, co-authors of Hope Heals and Suffer Strong

David's book Wild Things is one I highly recommend (no, urge) every parent to read. Raising Emotionally Strong Boys is no different. Each page leads me into a deeper understanding of my five sons, enables me to meet them where they are, and shows me how to empower them on their path to godly manhood. An absolutely essential read!

Jeannie Cunnion, bestselling author of Don't Miss Out and Mom Set Free

The Authors

  1. David Thomas LMSW

    David Thomas LMSW

    David Thomas, LMSW, is coexecutive director of Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee, and the author of 10 books. A frequent media guest and speaker, he cohosts a top parenting podcast, Raising Boys and Girls. Learn more at RaisingBoysAndGirls.com.

    Continue reading about David Thomas LMSW

  2. David Thomas

    David Thomas

    David Thomas, LMSW, is coexecutive director of Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee, and the author of 10 books. A frequent media guest and speaker, he cohosts a top parenting podcast, Raising Boys and Girls. Learn more at RaisingBoysAndGirls.com.

    Continue reading about David Thomas

Resources