Raising Boys with a Secure Identity {Podcast Episode #006 with Gwen Smith}
Hey friends! Today I am sharing a podcast episode on a topic that I am super passionate about with a friend who I have so much respect for! Gwen Smith joins me as we continue to go through the topics from my book — BOY MOM: What Your Son Needs Most from You. Gwen and I talk about the super important, yet often challenging task of raising sons with a secure identity. I think you’ll be nodding along with so much of what we chat about…and I hope you end this episode encouraged.
I have been following Gwen’s podcast, Graceologie, for quite a while, and I just love her wisdom and fun, grace-filled episodes. Gwen has 3 college- aged kids (2 boys and a girl!) and after learning a little about them, I just knew Gwen would have lots of experience and insight on this topic. And indeed she did!!
A few things Gwen and I touch on…
- Supporting your athletic kids without making them think that their performance is where their value comes from. (Hint: Gwen and I are both super competitive, and we confess this is not easy for us!)
- A great book we have both read: The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God’s Eyes
(and The Search for Significance Student Edition is great for kids!) - When Gwen’s son said the words we all relate to… (I might have cried a little. 😉 ) — And how can we speak to that place in all of our children?
- Finish First: Winning Changes Everything — Another great read, by Scott Hamilton.
- Being careful to separate what our kids do from WHO they are… (so important!)
- The importance of outside influences to help in shaping our kids’ identities.
- Technology, and the role of social media in our kids’ identity. What Gwen’s sons have done about it. (Awesome!) And some of the Smith’s counter-cultural approaches (I love.)
- My oldest son’s tool for navigating social media well: The Instagram Five.
- Shepherding a Child’s Heart (a must-read for parents! :))
(and 
is great for kids!)
— Another great read, by Scott Hamilton. 
(a must-read for parents! :))You can find the Boy Mom Podcast on all of the various podcast platforms…here are just a few of them:
iTunes (now called Apple Podcasts)
Or listen right here below —
And a little more about Gwen…
Hi, new listener to the Boy Mom Podcast 😄 We are fellow homeschoolers too! In this episode, Gwen Smith mentions that she has a great list of read-aloud books for kids/boys. Any chance this is available? My kids are on the verge of independent reading, but we need some new material (that won’t let me fall asleep either 😕).
Thanks!