Learn how to stay calm while you teach your son the skills he needs to face life’s challenges with resilience.
If you have a challenging boy, one who won’t take no for an answer, argues every decision, and explodes at the slightest provocation, you know how incredibly tough it can be to keep your cool when things are hitting the fan. But with the right tools, you can bring out the best in your child—and in yourself as a parent.
In Challenging Boys: A Proven Plan for Keeping Your Cool and Helping Your Son Thrive, Timothy Davis draws on his experience as a child and family psychologist, father of three, and volunteer firefighter to help parents remain calm and in control even when it feels like the house is on fire during yet another meltdown. Davis teaches parents how to create a plan ahead of time to prepare for emergencies (like firefighters do). He shows how to identify and manage specific triggers, recognize the patterns that challenging episodes follow, and make a plan for de-escalating a meltdown when it does occur. This plan is not a one-size-fits-all approach, because every boy is unique; instead, it is based on the child’s individual needs and each parent’s strengths.
While challenging boys can make life difficult for parents, teachers, siblings, and peers, Davis emphasizes that these children actually aren’t oppositional at all. They want to please, but often lack the skills to do so. Challenging Boys teaches parents how to help their boys develop these skills so that their natural gifts can shine.