Book Nook: Knights in Training - Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous, and Compassionate Boys

I recently had the chance to review KNIGHTS IN TRAINING: Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous, and Compassionate Boys by educator and speaker Heather Haupt.

For a lot of boys, there is pressure to act a certain way - to be macho, good at sports, fast, dominant. While these can be channeled into strong characteristics, society often overlooks qualities like honor and compassion, being courageous where others are concerned instead of just daring.

This book takes a look at ten different ideals for raising boys in ways that may seem countercultural. It encourages the creation of a "micro-culture" - a household culture - that fosters strong values. There are also tips for mindful media consumption, avoiding potty humor, and resolving conflict. It explores the issue of play weapons and play fighting, and how even that can be an occasion for courtesy. It also examines the role of faith in bringing up and shaping boys to follow strong values.

Although I have girls, I still found this book useful - there are still elements that relate, especially since one of my girls is a fierce tomboy. As an educator, this also gave me things to think about in regards to how I structure and maintain my own classroom discipline. It's a well-written, thoughtful book that helps parents of young boys raise them into honorable young men.