Raising Godly Boys Minute

Maybe, all your son needs is a ladder.

Every day in school, Phillip, an 8-year-old, would rebelliously refuse to complete any assignments. One day, a teacher realized that Phillip had a passion for ladders and construction. A small ladder was located. Phillip began sitting on that ladder every day during school, and to everyone’s amazement, started learning and completing his assignments.

That ladder gave Phillip what every young boy craves– respect and autonomy. If your son is struggling with behavior issues, take the time to learn what he likes. Then, give him appropriate levels of freedom, such as letting him pick what chore he would like to do.

When your son feels like his thoughts and feelings matter, he will begin to be more successful in all areas of his life.

To learn about the 5 critical needs of boys, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Are you watering your son’s lawn?

In their famous book, called Boundaries, Dr. John Townsend and Henry Cloud give this analogy. When you don’t teach your teenage son responsibility, it’s like your son is your neighbor who doesn’t water his own lawn. But your sprinkler waters both your lawn and your boy’s lawn, so your son enjoys a green yard without any effort on his part.

Letting your son face natural consequences in life is crucial for his success as an adult. While it may be difficult to watch your son struggle due to bad choices, he will quickly learn that hard work brings not only success, but deep satisfaction. Let go, and give your son the skills he needs to keep his own lawn green.

For more ideas for raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Let’s be honest– the behavior of teen boys can be baffling! But what if there’s a simple reason for their baffling behavior?

When your son is mean to his sister, irritable about his homework, and disrespectful to you, stop and ask yourself– is he just tired? He may be staying up too late playing video games, or getting up incredibly early for swim practice. Researchers have found that, when children don’t get enough sleep, they have shorter attention spans, worse grades, and bad attitudes. 

Help your son out. Implement a family nighttime routine that involves turning off screens, taking a walk, and doing a quiet activity like reading. You may wake up to a much better-behaved teen in the morning.

To learn about raising godly boys, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Dealing with emotions can be difficult … for all of us.

But for your young son, feeling frustrated, disappointed, or jealous can be all-consuming.

Here are some steps you can take to help your son work through his feelings.

First, find a list of emotion words online. Post that list on your fridge, and discuss what each word means. Second, draw a thermometer and talk to your son about different levels of anger, so he can notice when he starts to get angry and take steps to calm down. Third, always make sure your son gets plenty of physical activity, especially on the days when he seems the most emotional.

Learning to regulate emotions today will benefit your son for years to come.

For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

What if there are benefits to keeping your son busy?

Children and teens are spending more time in front of screens than ever before, and their mental and physical health is suffering for it. But instead of focusing on getting your son away from the screen, what about trying to keep him so busy he doesn’t have time for his phone or TV?

It may take lots of trial and error to find what your son likes. Some unique ideas include joining a robotics club, volunteering at a local radio station,  helping at a horse stable, or even coaching a little league baseball team.

When your son does find what he enjoys, encourage him to pursue that with excellence. When it’s the right activity, busy is not always bad.

To learn about the five critical needs of boys, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.