Manly and Respectful Boys
January 26, 2010
A few suggestions to encourage boys to be men:
Number One Rule: Diligence! You have to keep at it, daily…for all of their childhood, even in the teen years! Don’t give up!!!
Number Two Rule: Encourage, Encourage, Encourage! Surround yourself with people who will encourage you, and remember your son NEEDS your encouragement, even when he messes up.
Remember they are little men. Don’t allow behavior that you would not allow from a man with integrity, using the excuse boys will boys.
Submerge them with books and movies that exhibit manliness. Even if boys do not have strong male roll models in their lives they can be influenced by the characters in books and movies.
~Carefully choose books/movies that righteousness prevails, never call something that is bad, good. Books make a bigger impact than movies.
~Read books aloud as a family, this gives plenty of time for discussion and reinforcement!
Remind them they are protectors. When situations arise let your sons do the job of protecting, even if it is something small.
Let them kill the bugs and things like that. Find the simple situations and build from there.
Give them charge to be the protectors of anyone that is weaker than he is, especially girls, which includes his sisters! Remind him that only cowards are cruel to weaker people.
Remind him that Jesus (the strongest man ever) came to give his life for the weak.
Make sure the girls in your home treat him like a man. Discourage nagging and mothering, this frustrates boys greatly! Remind them to let their brother do the manly tasks when possible.
Read Proverbs EVERYDAY!
Post quotes and verses all over your house. Frame these and put them where they will be read often. I have Scripture on the wall directly across from the toilet! You can also work these into their schoolwork.
Use a positive tone when correcting (hard I know!). Talking down to a boy, especially from a woman (mom), will crush his spirit, which will make him into a wimp or turn him into a tyrant.
Encourage healthy relationships with the men in your church. Point out the positive traits in men letting your son know this is what you esteem as important. Be careful not to point out the bad qualities, keep it positive!
***Build up his father, even his grandfather if possible, in front of him.*** Mothers should never criticize the men in his life.
More to come on this topic!
Here is our series How to Teach Responsibility.
Topics: Boys! | 4 Comments »
Comments (4)
Great advice.
wow, thanks for the practical tips.
Excellent, excellent advice! Thank you!
When my son was around 6, there was a teachable moment (I don’t remember the circumstance now–it was a long time ago!), and I matter-of-factly mentioned that “Gentlemen open doors for girls and women.” You might not believe this, but being a gentleman became a vital part of his life from then on! Once the daughter of a friend of mine even wrote me, when we’d moved away from their area, asking me if my son was still a gentleman!
I love the part about always speaking positively about their father and grandfather.
I was wondering what makes you say that books make more of an impression than movies? I hope that’s true, but I’d love to hear what makes you think that.
A boy is the only thing that God can use to make a man, I once read. How true!
Thanks again!
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