The Male Child Needs A Father's Guidance

I have a son and I often relate with other father's from time to time. We discuss a wide range of topics. We compare notes on family and life in general. We share a lot of experiences. We look for answers, dissecting possible solutions one by one.

A common perception among many father's today is that male children require less guidance and training compared to females. It almost like boys are not at risk simply because they are boys. It's a wrong perception. Male children are equally vulnerable to negative influences and vices same as female children 

All children regardless of sex should be provided the highest level of protection and guidance. The boy child should not be neglected as being risk free. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, brainwashing with strange ideas, pear pressure, gang violence and substance abuse are just a tip of the iceberg. The dangers are many and very real for the male child in modern society.

At all ages father's must be involved in developing the mindset, value systems and decision making processes of the male child. There must be a conscious, strategic effort to prepare boys from a young age to become socially responsible adult males in society. They must understand modern civilized society and how it works.

In the past, father's were more actively involved in raising their son's to be men. An informal education system was in place whereby the child would be educated in practical terms under the watchful eye of a father "coach". 

This informal teaching would involve such things as hunting skills, types of plants and wildlife, outdoor survival, farming, fishing, weapons and self defense. In addition the child would closely observe the father's leadership skills, his ways of handling conflicts and disciplinary issues within the family. As the child grew older topics like sexuality and women would be included in this informal training between father and son.

Eventually by early adulthood males would typically log incalculable number of  hours of practical training on a wide variety of topics. Some cultures have a "coming of age" period or ceremony which signifies the formal acceptance of the young adult into the fraternity of men within the community. This comes with certain rights and privileges depending on culture and traditions.

In comparison, modern male children have only a fraction of contact with their fathers. Most receive little if any strategic training outside of basic moral codes and value systems. Father's today are just too busy and too distracted to put any thought or effort to purposefully teaching their son's. The general idea is that young men will learn what they need to know along the way like a form of "in-service" training. This is a terrible and destructive mindset.

Never in the history of mankind have boys and young men needed the guidance of their father's more than at this time. The information overload and avalanche of new age ideas is simply too much for many young minds to handle alone. Unfortunately that's what many male children are doing. The consequences are simply too catastrophic to imagine.

 It's time for father's to step up to their responsibilities in the modern age.