Moms Raising Sons to be Men
by Rhonda Stoppe

I had settled into my life as a mom to three daughters when I had my son, so I’m always eager to read books about how to parent my little guy.  Rhonda Stoppe’s book, Moms Raising Sons to be Men, combines Biblical wisdom with practical tips on how to bring up boys.  Her book is divided into two parts:  Part One: Life Lessons from Moms of the Bible and Part Two: Guide Your Son Toward Godly Manhood.  In the first part of the book, she gleans principles from Biblical moms like Mary, Hannah, Jochebed, Salome, andothers.   The second part of the book presents seven principles for parenting sons, including teaching respect for authority, independence, Biblical thinking, wisdom and strength.

There is a lot in the book to like.  Her encouragement that God chose you to be your mom’s son speaks to the heart of every mom.  We need the reminder that this is our mission and our ministry, part of God’s great purpose and plan for us.  It reminds us that God is with us to help us and guide us.  It also reminds us not to give up or feel like we have to do everything the same way as another mom with a different personality and different child.  God uniquely designed you and your son for each other.  She also hits on some top advice for any mom:  Be prayerful, seek advice from older moms, and build up a strong network of friendship.

Although she tries very much to broaden the principles so that single moms aren’t left out in the parenting solutions, much of the book is going to apply mostly to Christian dual-parent homes and, even more than that, to stay-at-home moms.

There are a few instances in the book of specific parenting and disciplinary methods that I disagree with.  I think that’s probably true with any parenting book—you glean from it.  Choose what rings true and what will work for your child and your family.  One of the things that I did love was her emphasis on teaching with the end in mind.  Instead of just correcting her son’s negative behavior, she’d say, “I know you want to grow up to be a kind man….” and make the development of kindness the goal.  For new moms,  I think the best advice when reading parenting books such as this is to be prayerful, be very aware of your end-goals and know yourself and your son well.  Take some advice.  Put other advice aside. If you try a method and it doesn’t work, don’t feel like a failure!  Maybe it just wasn’t a good fit for you and your family.

All in all, moms of sons will receive a great deal of encouragement from Rhonda Stoppe’s book and will likely walk away feeling more purposeful and prayerful as we fulfill our mission of motherhood.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”