Boy-sterous Living: Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons [Paperback]

Jean Blackmer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2008

Raising boys isn’t easy. Life with them is loud. If it’s quiet, they’re probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you’re in for an adventure.As the only female in a house with three sons, a husband, and two male dogs, Jean Blackmer has learned a lot about living with boys. She knows that as a mom it isn’t always easy to communicate and connect with these creatures of noise and energy. Everyday, they force you to live in a world where bugs are cool, safety is an afterthought, and ’talking is torture.’In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.Additonal resources include:Thoughtful questions to help parents explore their views on raising sonsBible verses to help parents apply God’s truth to the trials and joys of raising a familySuggestions for more information on several topic and issues related to parenting boys

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JEAN BLACKMER is the coauthor of Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision and has written numerous freelance articles for various publications. In addition to writing, she is currently the publishing manager for MOPS International. She an MA in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Jean and her husband, Zane, live in Boulder, Colorado, with their sons: Josh, Jordan, and Jake.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (November 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0834123908
• ISBN-13: 978-0834123908
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jean Blackmer is the publishing manager for MOPS International (www.MOPS.org) where she gets to develop books designed specifically for moms. She lives in Colorado with her husband Zane and their three sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A laugh-out loud book about boys, May 27, 2010

By 

K. Hutson "My Scrappy Life" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boy-sterous Living: Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons (Paperback)

I picked up this book, hoping to learn some tips for working with boys - there's a plethora of boys in my children's ministry and often, I'm left scratching my head at their antics.

From the start, I could barely put this book down. The book, filled with tons of humor and personal stories from Jean Blackmer's life, was simply hysterical. It's filled with a variety of true-life stories - all from the point of view of a mom.

I think it takes a special person to raise boys. I often find myself trying to understand the plight of a friend, who is raising four boys - ages 5, 6, 8, and 9 - laughing or crying with her when it comes to their crazy stories and actions.

Blackmer's book was almost like reading a "field guide" to little boys. It opened my eyes to some of their actions - especially those that seem to involve loud or breakable things.

I laughed out loud as I read the chapter, where Blackmer talks about finding her son jumping on a trampoline with a hammer. (Note: he was trying to fix a basketball goal hanging above the trampoline.) She never guessed that she would have to say "don't jump on a trampoline with a hammer." After a visit to the hospital, she learned.

It's kind of like the lesson I learned the night a group of the kids at church played a game of "hide and seek."

I never imagined, as I gave the ground rules for the game, that one of the boys would decide to hide in one of the oversized refrigerators. Fortunately, it was too full, so he didn't get stuck in it - and just smashed a few desserts. But now, thanks to the book and experience, I've learned to give pretty specific instructions to the kids - especially the boys!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but not substantial, September 16, 2009

By 

Jennifer Bogart "@ Quiverfullfamily.com" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boy-sterous Living: Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons (Paperback)

I must admit up front, that I'm not a mother of boys. Our family has been blessed with three beautiful little girls (who can be quite feisty themselves), but we are hoping that the Lord will choose to bless us with a boy someday. That's where my interest in Jean Blackmer's Boy-sterous Living comes from - the anticipation we feel when we contemplate the possibility of God blessing us with some little men.

As the mother of three boys herself (now grown into teenagers), Jean Blackmer has penned an inspirational, humourous, slice-of-life title which jumps from topic to topic with ease. One moment discussing sports, the next writing on the importance of mothers connecting with other women, Blackmer covers a little bit of everything in her fast-paced, lighthearted read. Primarily written to moms, there is a single chapter written for dads as well.

In each of the 18 topically focused chapters, Blackmer first shares personal anecdotes from her family's life with boys, experiences from friends or, if at a loss for intimate first-hand stories, from books she has read. Some of the adventures she digs up are absolutely hilarious; the time her son accidentally blew up a toilet with firecrackers most notable among them. Others are frightening, moving, or thought-provoking.

She then draws upon the experiences shared to illustrate the universality of these episodes, and the significance the underlying principles hold in family life. She often writes about how to strengthen certain aspects of Christ-like character in the lives of boys, how to teach appropriate boundaries, foster communication skills, etc. as she makes practical applications.

Each chapter closes with "Digging Deeper," a section in which Blackmer asks moms probing questions and asks them to commit to a plan of action -- small things that will strengthen their relationships with their sons. The "Recommended Reading" section always includes a selection of relevant Bible verses, and at times includes books that Blackmer has found particularly helpful in further exploring the issue she just covered.

With each chapter ranging between four to ten pages, Blackmer doesn't have time to dig deep into any of the topics she touches upon. Moms looking for an in-depth, thoughtful guide to raising Christian boys would be better served by another title. At times the treatment specific subjects receive seem somewhat superficial, only gliding over surface concerns. She does dig into some tender spots on occasion - such as letting go, and letting dad.

Those of us on the more conservative spectrum may find several chapters that don't apply to our experiences. Unless your boys play sports, video games, and have girlfriends (or some day will), there will certainly be entire chunks of text that are largely inapplicable to your family situation.

Blackmer has clearly learned to delight in the differences between herself and the rest of the all-male home she lives in. Her sense of genuine delight and rejoicing in the God-given differences between male and female certainly shines through her words. Mothers of boys looking for a quick, inspirational round of humorous commiseration will be encouraged to count their blessings anew. Readers looking for something a bit meatier should continue their search.

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me gain a whole new love of being the mom of boys!, August 29, 2011

By 

Erin MacPherson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy-sterous Living: Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons (Paperback)

I loved this book! Jean did a great job of relating to all moms with boys with hilarious and personal stories, great tips and ideas for connecting. I loved her book suggestions at the end of each chapter... I just checked a couple Calvin and Hobbes books out of the library and plan on reading them with my son. I highly recommend this book for any mom who has boys and wants to know how to parent them better.