Review- Raising Real Men

I don’t know about any of you, but this mama freaks out often about how I’m doing raising my boy.  I question myself a lot. “Am I being to hard on him? Am I babying him? Do my words tear him down or build him up?”  I’m such a worrier!  So, when I received this book from Timberdoodle, I was hoping to glean some much needed insights in how I was doing.

Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys is a very practical guide for parents of boys written by a pair of “experts.” Authors Hal and Melanie Young boast a family of six boys and two girls. They admit that experience is their single greatest qualification and they draw on many personal stories throughout this book to illustrate their points. 

This book covers a wide range of topics and the challenges parents face. The subjects include:

• The importance of heroes in a boy's life (including his father and Christ), 

 

• preparing your son for independence, 
• developing leadership qualities in your son, 
• cultivating an environment for learning at home,  

 

• skills for managing money, 
• the appropriate use of competition,

 

• encouraging your son to use proper manners, 
• and how to launch your son from the home ready to succeed.

So, here is my honest Teaching Mommy opinion.

Plus(es):

Style – Raising Real Men reads like a conversation overheard in the Young's' living room. The writing is very conversational and fast paced. Their advice is for both fathers and mothers and for parents of young boys and young men alike. 

Here's a quote that I appreciated. When addressing the thought of allowing their sons to take risks and pursue adventure and how to handle the jitters the Youngs offered this advice: 

"It may be that mothers have a hard time discerning between when sons need comforting and when they need bucking up. Here's a rule of thumb: If he hasn't faced the trial yet, or he's in the midst of it — encourage him. If he's been to the wars and is limping home wounded — comfort him. Once the wounds are bound up, encourage him to rise and face the fight again."

Tone – I greatly appreciated the Youngs' tone throughout the book. They are equally humble and helpful, avoiding the trap of sounding preachy or pious. They also do a great job of giving practical advice while offering some guiding principles. But maybe what I appreciated the most is the frequent and thoughtful use of scripture to support their approach to parenting.

Wish(es):

Timeliness– I can’t say there is anything else that I want from this book.  All I can say is, I wished I had known about it sooner!!

Overall:

I strongly recommend this book to any mother and father raising boys. It has challenged me to think about some things differently and will serve as a guide for my husband and I for years to come.

Be sure to head over to Timberdoodle and check out Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys! While you are there you may want to also check out Boy-Friendly Outdoor Learning and other Parenting Helps products from Timberdoodle.

2 Teaching Mommies Review Disclosure:  As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Raising Real Men in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

The Purplinker-A Teaching Mommy Review

I (Amber) was recently given the opportunity to review The Purplinker, which was offered to me from Timberdoodle.  

The Purplinker is a learning manipulative made of seven pieces of hinged, purple plastic that can be used to create any letter of the alphabet or any number from 0-9. 

So, here is my honest Teaching Mommy opinion. 

Positive(s):

• Endless Possibilities! – The packaging on this toy says that its operated by “Brain Power”, and because of this the possibilities are truly endless.  While we did make letters and numbers with our Purplinker, E was also able to make an canyon for Rapunzel and Flynn, a lasso for Cowgirl Jessie, and a sword to fight Captain Hook.  It really was fuel for the imagination.  I just can’t see E growing out of this toy, because it will grow with her.  That is a valuable thing in a homeschool purchase!
• Keeps Kids Engaged and Learning Fun – This toy is a Montessori dream.  Its hands on and requires abstract thought, which might have proven frustrating for E, so we made playing with The Purplinker a game.   I would ask her to make a letter, and then I would guess.  Sometimes we would play the other way around.  Either way, it was something she could do while I was prepping dinner or folding laundry.  It was also something that daddy could do with her, and that was fun, too. 
  
  
• Easy to Use – No batteries.  No assembly.  No directions to decode.  Right out of the easy to open packaging the Purplinker is ready to play. 
• Travels Well– We The Purplinker folds up very small, and would easily fit into a mommies purse.  We let E play with it some in the car, and it easily kept her entertained for our drive of about 20 minutes.   Be warned though that it will increase your kiddos reach enough to hit daddy in the back of the head. 
  

Negative(s):

• Might be difficult for little ones-  E is just now mastering her letters and numbers.  Because the Purplinker makes sharp right angles and not rounded ones, it can make some letters and numbers difficult.  Take the number 8 and the Letter B….
   
  
  That being said, helping kids look at things differently really opens the doors educationally.   

Overall, I think The Purplinker is a wonderful addition to our learning toys.  I am thrilled that we have this toy and am grateful that we got the chance to review it.  Timberdoodle is a great resource for teaching mommies, and you can contact them here to receive a  free catalog by mail, or just visit them on-line and look through their wonderful resources. 

  

2 Teaching Mommies Review Disclosure:  The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by The Timberdoodle Blogger Review Team for the sole purpose of product testing. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. All opinions expressed are my own.