Manly Virtues
A reader asks, "How can we help our 17 year old care more about being on time? We have tried to explain that it's selfish to make other people wait on him. He has never had a hurry "button."" This is kind of hard. I know this is frustrating - and you're no doubt worried…
Often we're asked, what do you do about a child who wants to police his younger brother, boss him around, and assume authority over him? Is it ever appropriate for an older sibling to have authority over a younger one? Well, sure -- sometimes your teenager is babysitting the little ones, or driving his…
A reader writes, "I follow your page all the time. I first heard you guys speak at the homeschooling conference in North Carolina. I need HELP! I have 4 boys. I have already dealt with the introduction to porn with my first two, both were exposed to it at a Christian friend's home. We have…
A reader asks, "I am having a problem with my 8 year old stealing things. He takes small things from people at school as well as things from his little brothers. A few weeks ago he took one of my diamond rings to school. I need some advice on what to do to help him…
My wife, weak from the stomach flu, came out of the bathroom where she’d been hiding out—hiding by my request, I should say. “I’m so sorry,” she said, shakily. “I feel like I shouldn’t have left you out there to do that.” (more…)
We have a tradition of a formal coming-of-age ceremony we call a “Bar Chanon.” This can take all kinds of forms but centers on a serious call to embrace the next stage of life for the young man. We think it's only natural for the young man to be welcomed into the community by the voices…
In our family, we believe it's helpful to set a particular time in a young man's life to begin transitioning him to adult roles. We talked about our reasons here, and explained who we involve in that formal time of recognition, here. We want to impress on the young man that these new expectations…
We described the idea of a formal coming-of-age ceremony here. We've done this with all six of our sons, and in a few years we'll consider how to celebrate our eldest daughter! One of the earliest questions to answer is the form the ceremony should take ... and therefore, who to invite? Since we're totally at…
Young men have a tremendous desire to try their strength and to be tested in return. This is integral to their competitive nature, but let's take a look at how it impacts their interaction with the real world, not the contrived world of competitions. Adults sometimes equate a desire for adventure with immaturity and recklessness.…
Here's a neat resource you can download for free and share with your sons in honor of Presidents Day -- examples from the lives of great men who have led our country! Several years before he became our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt and his friend Henry Cabot Lodge wrote a collection of stories to teach…