Raising Real Men in Today's World
Raising real men in today's world is going to be a challenge, but as a mama to 5 boys it's so worth it. Masculinity has been labeled as toxic, when that couldn't be farther from the truth. Every where we turn the media portrays men as feminine, wimpy, or unintelligent and public schools are teaching them that gender is whatever you feel like. The heroes in today's movies aren't much to look up to either.
So how do we raise real men who are God fearing, honorable, strong, courageous, intelligent, providers, and protectors?
Boys need an honorable father figure to look up to. This could also be a grandfather, another close relative, or family friend. Their father is their first hero as a young boy and I believe it is so important for them to have someone in their lives to follow.
I believe it is equally important for them to have a caring and nurturing mother to show them what qualities to look for in a wife.
Pour into them. Tell them how strong they are when they do something hard. Tell them how honorable they are when they make good choices. Be their cheerleader!
Turn off the media that's constantly feeding your boys the idea that it's normal to be feminine or wimpy and being masculine is toxic! We don't have cable and our children don't have tablets or cell phones. We don't really watch TV unless we carefully pick out a series to watch together and that's pretty rare. We play minimal video games and watch an occasional family movie and we're ok! We aren't bored! (It's important that they are aware of what is going on at age appropriate times, but they aren't being taught daily these things are good and normal.)
Fill your home with media, movies, TV series, and books that emulate real men, that will become their normal.
Let them be boys! Let them play in the mud and wrestle and be wild. Let them play army and heroes. Let them play with toy guns and bows. They are natural born protectors, it's a good thing! Don't try to take that out of them. Try not to helicopter parent. They might get bumps and bruises, I promise they will be ok!
Encourage them to work hard and always praise them for their efforts.
Always expect them to treat others with kindness and respect.
Teach them to properly use and care for weapons.
Read them stories of real honorable men, so they have real heroes to look up to and emulate.
Give them as much responsibility as they can handle. Make sure to continually increase their responsibilities as they mature.
Read the Bible with them. The Bible is full of wisdom and strong biblical men.
Lastly and probably the most important, pray for them and with them every day. Pray for their futures. Make sure they know your hope for them.
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:7-9
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
So how do we raise real men who are God fearing, honorable, strong, courageous, intelligent, providers, and protectors?
Boys need an honorable father figure to look up to. This could also be a grandfather, another close relative, or family friend. Their father is their first hero as a young boy and I believe it is so important for them to have someone in their lives to follow.
I believe it is equally important for them to have a caring and nurturing mother to show them what qualities to look for in a wife.
Pour into them. Tell them how strong they are when they do something hard. Tell them how honorable they are when they make good choices. Be their cheerleader!
Turn off the media that's constantly feeding your boys the idea that it's normal to be feminine or wimpy and being masculine is toxic! We don't have cable and our children don't have tablets or cell phones. We don't really watch TV unless we carefully pick out a series to watch together and that's pretty rare. We play minimal video games and watch an occasional family movie and we're ok! We aren't bored! (It's important that they are aware of what is going on at age appropriate times, but they aren't being taught daily these things are good and normal.)
Fill your home with media, movies, TV series, and books that emulate real men, that will become their normal.
Let them be boys! Let them play in the mud and wrestle and be wild. Let them play army and heroes. Let them play with toy guns and bows. They are natural born protectors, it's a good thing! Don't try to take that out of them. Try not to helicopter parent. They might get bumps and bruises, I promise they will be ok!
Encourage them to work hard and always praise them for their efforts.
Give them opportunities to care for those smaller and weaker than them. This could be a younger sibling or a pet.
Always expect them to treat others with kindness and respect.
Teach them to properly use and care for weapons.
Read them stories of real honorable men, so they have real heroes to look up to and emulate.
Give them as much responsibility as they can handle. Make sure to continually increase their responsibilities as they mature.
Read the Bible with them. The Bible is full of wisdom and strong biblical men.
Lastly and probably the most important, pray for them and with them every day. Pray for their futures. Make sure they know your hope for them.
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:7-9
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
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