Teaching my son that being a man means showing up for people

3w ago·1 min read

Noticed my boy getting annoyed about helping his younger sister with homework. Sat him down and told him straight up that real men don't pick and choose when to be responsible. You show up for your family whether it's convenient or not. Whether it's your sister, your future wife, or your kids someday. That's what separates men from boys. He rolled his eyes at first but later I saw him helping her without being asked. That's the kind of man I'm raising.

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Comments(3)

CChris M.Regular3w ago

Love this. The fact that you sat him down and had that conversation instead of just forcing him is what actually teaches him. Being a man isn't about not wanting to help - it's about doing it anyway because you know it matters. Your son's gonna remember that lesson.

LLucasRegular3w ago

Teaching them young that showing up is the base requirement, not the exception. My oldest was getting that same attitude and when I reframed it as me showing him what it looks like to be a good brother and eventually a good friend and husband, something clicked for him.

BBradRegular3w ago

This is the way. Kids don't learn manhood from being told rules, they learn it from watching their dad show up for the people he cares about. Even when it's annoying. Even when he'd rather do something else. That's the real lesson right there.