6 Tips on How to Raise Your Son to Be a Good Man
When a boy is born into a family, every parent dreams of raising him into a strong and responsible fellow. They want to bring him up in a way that leads him to become a “good man” in the future. But not every parent is aware of what they need to do to nurture a son correctly. Hence, 5-Minute Crafts is here to help you raise your son and turn him into the kind of man you want him to be.
1. Help him manage his emotions.
Boys hear phrases like, “Be a man” or “Crying is for girls” when they grow up. Hence, they feel uneasy articulating their emotions to others. Withholding feelings could make it difficult for them to create meaningful relationships, both personal and professional.
This can be addressed by letting your son talk when they feel grumpy or any other emotion. You can try saying, “Seems like you’re in a bad mood, I can help if you want.” If they do open up a bit, validate their feelings. This will help them to express more and realize that you won’t lecture them, making it a comfortable space for conversations.
2. Divide daily chores with your spouse.
The wives who complain about their husbands are the ones who married to men who don’t invest much in their relationship. Hence, couples should split housework and parenting tasks to raise a happy family.
Spouses should discuss the division of labor early in their relationship to keep the resentment at bay. So, even if you both are working or one of you is a stay-at-home parent, it helps the kids to notice that there is no kind of bias about many jobs being male or female. And they also perceive that family members work as a team.
3. Instill respect for others.
Surround your kids with authority figures who inspire others to obey rules and be caring toward others. This will help in setting a baseline for your son to treat people with respect, and once they grow up, this mannerism will become his second nature.
If they break a rule, you can impose consequences like not giving them their iPad for a while or no outings for a weekend. When you go easy on your child by coddling them, they can become unmotivated, spoiled, and apathetic.
- You can set an example by having a good marriage with your spouse, where you respect each other. This helps your kid to understand how happy adult partnerships work.
4. Strengthen his self-esteem.
To instill a strong sense of self in your son, try to not back him up with false praises like telling him he’s the best athlete in the world. Doing this will set your son up for expectations that he may not live up to. We should be very particular when it comes to praising his talents, you can try applauding his efforts more instead.
Kids feel encouraged when they’re cheered on for how they perform their tasks and how they accomplish them. So, instead of simply saying, “I’m proud of you,” say things like, “Good job for getting it done. I know you worked so hard for that.”
5. Teach him to take responsibility.
A good man always admits when he is wrong and takes full accountability for his actions. Instill the same quality in your son to take this action only after careful consideration. You may also want to make him understand that accusing others of his wrongdoings is not the right thing to do.
6. Know that the father-factor always matters.
Moms can surely know how to help their son to be a good man, but dads can actually show and prove to him what that means. This can be done by:
- Spending quality time with their sons. This helps the child to develop a feeling of security inside.
- Setting an example by showing them how to treat women. This includes interacting with women, especially his wife, on how to take responsibility if he is wrong, talking respectfully, and apologizing when necessary.
- Getting a bit physical by playfully wrestling to help his son control his physical impulses and emotions. You can also include hugging and kissing your son as it can be very reaffirming for your child.
