As a father, it is your job to teach your sons how to become real men. Unfortunately, there are far too many men who neglect this key part of their responsibilities. Becoming a real man only happens when fathers hang out with their sons and teach them the key lessons that they need to learn.
It’s not enough to put a roof over their heads, put warm food in their bellies, and get them an education. You also need to nurture and build their character. This is the most important job that a father has.
When fathers are absent, sons tend to become soft, are easily influenced, and make some mistakes that could have been avoided. So, if you haven’t been teaching your sons to be men, it’s not too late to begin. Here are a few things you can start with.
Be a Gentleman… Always
Teach your son how to be thoughtful, kind, considerate, and empathetic. Help them realize the importance of treating the women in their lives –their mom, sisters, and other female relatives- with tenderness.
Show them how to open doors for women without expecting anything in return, help them carry heavy items, and generally support the women around them. Teach them to never raise their voices or yell at them too. This is the best way to curb any violent tendencies against women.
Respect Your Parents and Other Older Folk
It’s rare to find male children who address older men and women as “Sir” and “Ma’am”. There are men who believe that this is an archaic practice and isn’t necessary.
And yet, when a young man addresses them with that appellation, they automatically find themselves thinking that the young man is respectful.
This is because addressing parents and older people in that manner is a universally recognized symbol of respect. So, teach them to respect you, their mom, uncles, aunties, and every other older person in and outside the family.
Ask for Help When Necessary
Dads need to teach their kids that it’s okay to ask for help; but not before they’ve done their absolute best. For instance, if a wound isn’t healing up, better to request a wound care consultation than to lose the limb.
The same applies to sports, life, business, education… everything that they do. Teach them to give it their 100 percent first. And if that’s not enough, they can seek help from people who can actually help them.
Some people might say that this is being prideful, but it’s not. If anything, it’s a great way to raise independent, self-sufficient members of society who believe in their capabilities.
Teach Them to Do What’s Right
As adults, we all know that it’s sometimes, much easier to abdicate responsibility and take the easy way out. Yet, if experience has proven one thing, it’s that these so-called easy ways eventually lead back to the same problem.
So, teach them to always do the right thing, even if it’s difficult –as it usually is. This will build their character and help them develop a spine –something that’s all too lacking in many modern male children.
