You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. If you treat them like sons,
they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.-
Walter Schirra Sr.
Moms of boys
Imagine
it is 15 years from now, what do you see your son doing with his life?
To answer that question, you need to think about what you are teaching
your son right now. These 5 tips are a guideline to instilling
confidence in your son to make the right choices in life.
Tip# 1 Teach your son to align his actions with family values
As
parents, we repeat the same tired lectures without indicating our
family values. If you are not discussing your family's values with him,
you are assuming he knows them. In order for your son to become a self
sufficient and self reliant adult, you have to instill in him the
importance of being responsible. Don't always rush to help or rescue
your son or help to solve his problems. Teach your son that others are
not responsible for his mistakes or misfortunes.
Tip #2 Focus on your son's strengths, not weaknesses
In
society, we are urged to develop our weaknesses, not our strengths.
Think about how well you know your son's abilities. Make a list of all
the things your son does well. Encourage your son in the areas in which
he excels instead of focusing on your areas in which you son has
deficiencies.
Tip #3 Teach your son to trust his instincts
We
are born with natural instincts for our survival. As children grow,
they tend to rely less on their instincts because in the past doing what
pleases them may have gotten them in trouble. Let your son know that it
is ok to trust his "gut feeling". This will help him to trust himself
to make the right decisions. He will become more self aware and street
smart. Children that trust their instincts are less likely to get
involved in unhealthy peer pressure.
Tip #4 Teach your son to set realistic goals
Reasonable
expectations from you will help him to avoid unnecessary pressure.
Encourage him to define his own expectations instead of trying to
measure up to your expectations. Download Free Goal Setting Toolkit for
Boys
Tip #5 Teach your son to be courageous
To go against
the grain takes courage. To take a stand for what is right takes
courage. To speak up and defend what you believe takes courage. To fight
the Goliath in your life takes courage.
How are you nurturing greatness in your son?
Moms of boys
