RAISING MEN
How important is it for a boy to be raised with a good man in his life?
Once while a nun was visiting a prison, a man asked if she would get him a Mother’s Day card. So she went out and got one and brought it back to him for him to send it to his mother. When other inmates saw what she had done, many of them asked if she would get one for them too. She called Hallmark and ended up getting 500 cards which were passed out at chapel. Later, seeing how well the Mother’s Day card program went, the nun got 500 Father’s Day cards to give to the inmates. They were also taken to the chapel and offered to the inmates, but this time none of the Father’s Day cards were picked up.
Boys and men need to feel that they belong to a group of other men. If they do not belong to a good group they may try to fill this need by joining gangs. Examples of good groups are scout groups, ball teams, church groups, etc. Dads should participate in group activities with their sons and don’t just drop them off.
A survey also reveled that only 3 out of 100 boys say that their dad spent time with them as an early teenager telling them about how to get along with girls and sexuality.
Men need to take time with boys to explain relationships with others as girlfriends, employers, coworkers, teachers, leaders, friends, etc. Prepare them for real world situations. Help them develop good work ethics and habits.
Boys and men need male role models. It has been said that if you couple a boy to a good man as he grows up he will not go bad. Boys should have men who they can spend quality alone time with doing things like fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, or even chores around the house. Women who are raising boys without a father, need to get a good man (or men) involved in their son’s life as soon as and as much as possible.
If a man feels comfortable with scriptures from the Bible, use passages as from Proverbs or James to teach lessons as about hanging with bad company, seduction, character, wisdom, adultery, etc.
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