We all want to be exemplary role models for our sons, but what’s the best way to go about it? Here are some pointers that might help make your job as a father a little easier.
Throw the video games and the television out the window and replace them with books. Your son will kick at first, but forcing good books on him will cultivate a powerful mind. Make it clear to him that book learning is the key to personal freedom, and that some of the most important book learning takes place outside of the school house. When your son is older, he’ll understand that a library card and the ability to read well is critical to self-empowerment in modern society.
Teach your son how to fight. Knowing how to psychically defend himself will increase your son’s confidence tenfold and help to keep him safe against the dangers of the real world. Make sure you teach your son that violence is always a last resort, and that he should only use his fighting skills to defend himself or someone in danger.
Teach your son how to hunt, clean, and cook wild animals. We live in an uncertain world, and like John Lennon once said, tomorrow never knows. If society falls into chaos during your son’s lifetime, he’s going to need the skills to feed himself and his family. Teach him to shoot, teach him to fish, teach him to speed build a fire and find shelter, and always remind him to respect nature.
Teach your son how to respect women by leading by example. Show him that it’s never right to hit a woman, and that the best thing to do when things get heated is get out and take a long walk. Teach him to respect women, while at the same time making it clear to him that he should never allow himself to be walked on or taken advantage of by a lover.
Teach your son how to eat properly. Explain to him exactly what’s in the food he’s putting in his mouth. Educate yourself first on the dangers of unhealthy junk food, and then spread that wisdom to your son. Also stress the importance of keeping in prime physical condition through regular exercise.
Expose your son to different cultures and religions. Teach him that most people are basically the same, regardless of the color of their skin or the religion they follow. This will keep your son from falling into the pitfalls of racial prejudice and religions intolerance.
Make it clear to your son that a healthy mistrust of the governments of the world is not a bad thing at all. Don’t make the poor kid a paranoid wreck, but teach him that the people in power are often up to shady business and to always regard anything they say with healthy skepticism. Teach him to use critical thinking and decide important issues for himself, and to never blindly follow charismatic personalities or crusades.
Teach your son that, although it is an important aspect of life, money cannot buy genuine happiness. Teach him to look within himself for comfort, and to never be fooled into thinking that those members of society with a ton of money are any more important than the poor and weak among us. Try to discourage materialism as much as possible without turning the poor guy into a full fledged backwoods hermit.
Raising a son is a big deal. In a sense, we live on through the lives of our children, but instead of trying to force our lives on them we should be trying our hardest to reach much higher than that and offer the gift of the best possible life. Sometimes we’re deceived into believing that our pretty suburban neighborhoods are a reflection of things to come, but that may not be true. The world your son spends his adult life in may be much more hostile than the one you’ve experienced. One need only look at the current state of the economy and the climate of frightening domestic oppression to understand that. If you want your son to be a survivor, you need to teach him how to survive.