Ron Fournier served as a White House Correspondent and covered
Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. In 2003 on his last
day as a correspondent for the Associated Press, he took his wife Lori and
their three children to the Oval Office for the traditional visit accorded departing
correspondents. His uninhibited five-year-old son, Tyler, asked President Bush
repeated questions. Fournier cringed. His son was somehow different than other
five-year-olds and that made Fournier uncomfortable, but Bush was happy to
engage with Tyler. Bush asked Tyler questions then teased him. As the family
left the Oval Office, the President grabbed Fournier by the elbow and said, “Love
that boy.” Fournier thought he understood what the President meant, but he didn’t. This book shows how Fournier came to understand
and how that understanding can help all parents.
Fournier, like every parent, knew that a parent’s love
has to be unconditional, but his expectations of what his children should be
got in the way of that love. When Tyler was twelve, he was diagnosed with
Asperger’s, a high-functioning autism. That’s when Lori Fournier decided that Tyler and his Dad needed to bond and Tyler
needed real-world ways to learn to socialize so she sent them on the road.
Tyler was obsessed with history and Fournier’s job was covering presidents, so
Lori encouraged the pair to visit the homes and libraries of past presidents.
She also suggested visits with Clinton, Bush, and Obama. She told her husband
to take notes on the trips, then to write an article about them, and finally he
wrote this book.
Tyler and his Dad’s trips may not be possible for every
family, but the lessons they learned apply to all families. The book’s subtitle:
What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and
My Son Taught Me about a Parent’s Expectations, captures exactly why every
parent should read Fournier’s words.
His dictums for good parenting alone make this the
perfect gift for any father. “Don’t parent for the future; parent for today” is
one I wish I’d learned sooner. “Guide, don’t push, celebrate all victories,
slow down, share even the bad news, and fight for your kids.” are among the
tenets Fournier explores. Rearing children in an era in which popularity,
achievement, and intelligence are expected, Fournier found that grit, empathy,
and character mattered more and could be encouraged without harming family
relationships.
Summing
it Up: Fournier’s words are simple, direct, poignant, and funny. His portraits
of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton’s interactions with his son brought tears to
my eyes. Stop reading this review and buy this book.
Rating:
5 stars
Category:
Nonfiction, Grandma’s Pot Roast, Soul Food, Super Nutrition, Book Club
Publication
date: April 12, 2016
Book
Website: http://lovethatboybook.com/
Read
an Excerpt: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/04/12/ron-fournier-aspergers-son-love-that-boy/82867758/
NPR Interview
with the Author: http://www.npr.org/2016/04/16/474485668/political-columnist-ron-fournier-talks-new-book-love-that-boy
What
Others are Saying:
“Love That Boy captures both the fears and gifts of
fatherhood and writes about it with honest, selfless clarity. The book is a joy
to read and should be required for all new dads. . . Really” -- Jim
Gaffigan, Comedian and Author of Dad is
Fat
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