SOCIAL SCIENCES

Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons

by Cara Natterson
Ballantine. Feb. 2020. 256p. ISBN 9781984819031. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781984819048. CHILD REARING
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Natterson (The Care and Keeping of You; Guy Stuff) believes that too often parents misread the very signals they need to acknowledge to raise physically and emotionally healthy boys, as the visible signs aren’t as obvious as they are for girls. The pediatrician and mother of two boys explores the effects of changes in both testosterone and the human brain during the years of puberty, and addresses how to discuss both interior changes and external influences (pornography, body image, addiction, aggression) impacting the development of young men. She completes the book with a highly detailed section on how to navigate some of the more awkward but important conversations about issues such as acne, body odor, erections, and wet dreams.
VERDICT An essential and approachable resource for parents of preteen and teenage boys.
Reviewed by Julia M. Reffner , Nov 01, 2019
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