Parenting Great Kids Podcast - Episode 170
Raising Emotionally Strong Boys
with guest David Thomas
Hosted by Dr. Meg Meeker | July 5th, 2022 | 28:49 min
What would it look like to raise a generation of boys who see vulnerability as a strength & prioritizing their mental health as wisdom? Join David Thomas, author & director of family counseling at Daystar Counseling, as he shares helpful tools on how to teach your son to develop emotional capacity.
Today's Guest(s)
David Thomas, L.M.S.W., is the Director of Family Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, TN. He is the co-author of ten books, including the best-selling Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys and Are My Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social & Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach, as well as his two latest titles, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys and Strong and Smart: A Boy’s Guide to Building Healthy Emotions. He is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including his own called Raising Boys and Girls, has been featured in publications like The Washington Post and USA Today, and speaks across the country. He and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, twin sons, and a yellow lab named Owen.
EPISODE NOTES
DR. MEG WITH GUEST DAVID THOMAS (Part 1)
Boys need to be coached in the hard work of building emotional muscles. For many boys, the muscles are simply weak or underdeveloped. But weak muscles can get stronger with work. Building emotional muscles is some of the most important, yet most neglected, work in a boy’s journey to manhood. Impacting his everyday life as a son, brother, student, athlete, and friend, these muscles will define who he will become as a husband, father, friend and coworker. Guest David Thomas shares in simple yet profound detail how boys can develop the 3 R’s (Recognize, Regulate & Repair) — Much like a car’s dashboard, they can pay attention to emotional signals that come along, and how the proper response can keep them from facing further damage down the road.
BREAK
DR. MEG WITH GUEST DAVID THOMAS (Part 2)
Helping boys find their way to the full experience of being human and being fully masculine is what guest David Thomas is aiming for in all his work. Dr. Meg and David Thomas continue their candid conversation, discussing topics such as:
- What is the value of allowing your son to feel discomfort?
- Do violent video games have an effect on the emotions and actions of a boy?
- How does technology affect boys?
- The connection between “healthy risk” and why boys seem to be less passionate about masculine things than in the past generations
Follow David Thomas on Facebook and Instagram @raisingboysandgirls and find his latest parenting resources at raisingboysandgirls.com.
FROM THE PRODUCER
Thanks for listening to Episode #170, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, and for helping Dr. Meg’s parenting revolution reach more than FIVE MILLION downloads!
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