Mom, God has wired you to love your son. Your soft, nurturing spirit is critical to his development. But as he grows into a young man, love will no longer be his primary emotional need from you.
Let my own high school football days open a window into your boy’s heart. I’ve had more than one coach grab me by the facemask and challenge my performance. Sometimes the whole locker room got it at once. “You guys are great athletes,” the coach would shout. “I expect more out of you, and you should expect more out of yourselves.”
My teammates and I felt challenged to get out there and try and win the game.
What motivated us? What were we hungry for as young men?
Respect.
Our coach appealed to our emerging sense of manhood and our need to feel strong and confident. Men need respect like they need air to breathe. That’s just as true for a boy who’s transitioning into manhood.
But those changes might require a bit of a shift on your part, Mom. You’ll always love your son, but you’ll want to appeal more and more to his growing need for respect as a man.
That can feel counterintuitive when your natural instinct is to shower him with love by the bucketful. Some moms wonder if they should offer their son respect if he’s not acting in a respectable manner. And others say they don’t feel they have the vocabulary to communicate respect to their son in a way he’ll hear it.
On yesterday’s and today’s broadcasts, we want to help you with those questions and others. Popular guest Dr. Emerson Eggerichs will be with us on the program “Recognizing Your Son’s Need for Respect.”
Dr. Eggerichs is an internationally recognized expert on male/female relationships. He and his wife, Sarah, lead conferences around the world. I think you’ll be encouraged by what he has to say.
Listen on your local radio station, online, or try out our free phone app available for download.
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