Ian Grant - Growing Great Boys: How To Bring Out The Best In Your Son

I first met Ian Grant, author of Growing Great Boys , in Auckland in 2007. Along with three other dads, I had been invited to speak briefly to nearly a thousand fathers on little secrets learned while rearing children. I greatly enjoyed the morning, not so much for what I could share, but because of those gems of wisdom I was able to store up and bring back to my household to Angie and our four wonderful children.

In our family it was the girls who came first. Life, while challenging, was not overly complicated as we set off for a stint in France in the mid-1990s with two young daughters and a new career. Then along came the first of our two boys and, wow, what a difference. With time, as we settled back into home life in Sydney, I came to realise that my sporting success could indirectly place pressure on my boys because of their friends expectations, in a way it never did with my daughters. But fortunately, since a part of my own story includes not being good enough to make my schools 1st XV, I can encourage my guys as well as many others that they dont need to be world-beaters when young. As they develop, they work out what they love and are passionate about, then they work their butts off damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! and develop an attitude of Im not going to die wondering . Or, as Ian puts it very simply in his book: Youve got what it takes, son.

With our boys currently in years two and six, Ians book with its excellent tips on how to guide, love, encourage, discipline, inspire and bless your lads has been digested by both Angie and me at an ideal time. While I think we were doing well in rearing great boys, I have discovered that complacency can bring you back to the field in a great rush, and in life there are always better ways of doing things and opportunities to learn from others experiences.

I am continually amazed at how life, in just one generation, has changed so much. My childhood days growing up in the south of Sydney were, from memory, largely backyard experiences running into my two brothers under the Hills hoist, playing a million games and then derivatives of those. It was always full-on, and one became naturally athletic and competitive. These days, young boys are sitting in front of flat-screen TVs and computers and playing electronic games until their noses bleed. For some busy parents this might provide some respite, but one can learn much from Ians wise words. He encourages us to ensure that our boys are tested physically in team sport environments, and that they get a share of tribal treatment with Dad and any brothers who might be around. They have to learn and be trained for the physical and mental tests that will loom large as they mature.

In this modern age, where everything moves so quickly and daily life pressures often lead to social and family dislocation, youngsters are extremely vulnerable to falling through the cracks. One has to be focused, disciplined and committed to ensure their children are given the nurturing that will see them prosper as they grow into mature children who fit naturally into society. It requires a preparedness to sacrifice some good old blood, sweat and, at times, a few tears. But it is worth it to see your kids become a part of the answer to lifes problems, and not part of the problem itself. Ian, thanks for this easy-to-read manual providing invaluable advice on ways to go about the challenge and have plenty of fun on the journey.

Nick Farr-Jones

I am convinced that this generation of boys, like those before them, have every reason to grow into young men who give manhood a good name. However, there are some special challenges for boys growing up today, unique to our technological and individualised 21st century society.

I am well aware of the many books already in the marketplace addressing the issues of boys successes and failures, and documenting helpful research. However, this little book is of a different genre.

I spend my working days, through seminars, toolbox parenting groups, radio spots and magazines, giving parents insights and ideas for the daily interactions that take place in their homes. I deal in offering parents hot tips that are practical, and that work in real life. It is this user-friendly information that I offer in this book, in the hope that some of the ideas will mean it becomes a valuable how to in raising your sons.