My son just turned 8 and I want to make sure I'm raising him right. I'm big on teaching him to say yes sir and no sir, to shake hands firm, and to look people in the eye when he talks to them. My ex thinks I'm too strict but I believe young men need structure and to understand respect. How do you all balance discipline with letting them be kids?
You're on the right track with the handshakes and respect stuff. At eight he's old enough to start really learning those values. Backyard camping is a great way to teach all that too.
The manners and firm handshake are solid foundations. Just make sure he knows it's about respect for others, not just being tough. That's the real lesson.
Respect and courtesy are solid starts. I'd also throw in resilience and how to handle failure gracefully. Those things matter just as much as the manners.
Teaching manners and respect is huge at that age. The please and thank you foundation is everything. What else are you focusing on with him?
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8 is a good age to start building that foundation. I'm doing similar stuff with my boys. The yes ma'am and no sir thing might seem old school but it actually teaches them to be thoughtful about how they speak to people.