Boys must be boys, but they need direction to become men.
So says Dr. Meg Meeker, a pediatrics and adolescent medicine specialist, who says today she sees an epidemic of life-threatening problems in boys that didn't exist 40 years ago: Drugs, sex, drinking; all have taken a toll on boys.
Quoted in Lifezette, she gives this advice to parents:
1 Be loving and firm. Don't smother boys, but also don't be so harsh you lose communication.
2 Encourage outdoor adventures. Boys need adventure, but not from another computer game. Let them test themselves in nature.
3 Set rules. All kids need them and boys, in particular, feel lost without them.
4 Teach virtue. It's not just for girls. Teenagers especially are tested by opportunities for drinking, drugs and sex. Boys need to learn virtue just as girls do.
5 Tell them what you believe. Don't worry about imposing your views — boys (and girls) need some orientation in the world.
6 Give yourself. You are the most important person in your son's life. Give your sons your time.
