Book Review: What A Son Needs From His Mom {Bethany House}

What A Son Needs from His Mother by Cheri Fuller

ISBN: 978-0764210303

Paperback, 224 pages

Publisher: Bethany House

Retail: $12.99

About the book (from the back cover):

Ever Feel Like Your Son Is From a Different Planet?

Don't worry, Mom. There's a good reason why your son perplexes you. He's the OPPOSITE [gender]! Boys really do think, communicate, and process the world differently than girls. But no matter your son's age, he needs you, and he needs you in not-so-apparent ways.
Drawing from her own experiences, as well as those from moms and sons from around the country, Cheri Fuller shares what makes boys and young men tick and how to become a more welcome influence at every stage in their lives. She answers all the top questions, including:

"How can I help my son (and me!) deal with his emotions in a healthy way?"
"School is such a struggle. How can I help him?"
"Our personalities are SO different. How can we get on the same page?"
"My son hardly says a thing. What can I do?"
"What are the best ways to instill good values?"
"How can I encourage a lasting faith in God?"

With page after page of use-it-today advice and encouraging stories, this book will help you steer your son toward becoming a caring, confident young man.

Includes Reflection Questions for Personal or Group Use

Great for understanding grandsons, too! 

About the Author

Cheri Fuller is an inspirational speaker and the author of twenty-eight books with more than one million copies sold, including the best-selling When Mothers Pray. Winner of the Gold Medallion award for Extraordinary Kids (coauthored by Louise Pucker Jones) and finalist for When Families Pray, Fuller is a prolific author who has written hundreds of articles for Focus on the Family, Guideposts, Better Homes and Gardens, Moody, CHILD, Pray! Magazine, and many others. She is a contributing editor for Today's Christian Woman and her web site, CheriFuller.com features her column, "Mothering by Heart." She and her husband live in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

My thoughts

This book is what I've needed for a long time. I grew up with sisters and aunts. Not many boys or men were around consistently. They've always been a mystery to me; how they think, the way they act and react. What exactly do they need? There have been many a time when I just have to stand back and shake my head at something my son has said or done. It's just so... boy! 

I like the way the book is straight-forward with its purpose. Each chapter is titled according to what will be talked about, such as "A Mom Who Listens and Communicates" and "A Mom Who Nurtures Her Sons Faith". In each chapter she includes tidbits from other authors, whether writing on this subject or not, and I appreciated the exposure to their words. 

For me, this really isn't a book that's read once and put on the shelf. There are some chapters that I need to reread and also mark up my book. Some of my favorite, albeit challenging, chapters were:

• Chapter 3: A Mom Who Builds Confidence in Her Son
• Chapter 5: A Mom Who Prays for Her Son
• Chapter 8: A Mom Who Understands Her Son's Unique Personality
• Chapter 13: A Mom Who Releases Her Son to Manhood
• Chapter 14: A Mom Who Pursues a Purposeful Life

The first three are more of a challenge to me currently while the last two I look at as helping me for the future.

Overall, I like this book. I like the way it's written, the way it flows. I like the inclusions of quotes by other authors and experts, as well as mothers and sons. I also like the questions at the end of the chapters; they are challenging because I have to actually look at what I'm doing and thinking. Sometimes I need to re-evaluate.

***Disclaimer: I received the above book free from Bethany House for the purpose of this review. No compensation was given. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.***