Been working with him on the handshake. Firm grip, look em in the eye, confident but not aggressive. My old man taught me this when I was about his age and I'm determined to pass it along. Character matters and it starts with small things like showing respect through how you greet someone. A man's word and his handshake should mean something.
Love that you're teaching him this. We take the boys hiking a lot and I'm always pointing out how other people present themselves. That firm handshake definitely opens doors later on.
Good stuff. My dad did the same with me and it stuck with me forever. Sounds like your son's got a great teacher.
That's real wisdom right there. My boys are still young but I'm already thinking about these little things - the handshake, eye contact, how you carry yourself. Glad to see dads still passing this stuff down.
My 6-year-old tried to crush my hand like he was proving something and I had to walk him through the whole confident-not-aggressive thing too. Takes practice but it sticks.
This right here. A good handshake opens doors. You're teaching him something that'll matter way more than he realizes now. Keep pushing that confident but not aggressive balance.
Firm grip and eye contact for sure, but I'd also add reminding him it's okay to be nervous. Some of the best dudes I know still get a little anxious before introductions.
The eye contact thing is huge. So many kids miss that part and it makes a real difference when they're older. How old is your son? Mine's still working on not looking at his shoes.
How old is your son? My daughter's still pretty young so we haven't tackled this yet but I'm definitely stealing your approach. The eye contact part is key.
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This is so important. I've been doing the same with my kids on their hockey teams. The handshake thing seems small but it really does set the tone for how people perceive your kid right out of the gate.