Strong Mothers, Strong Sons

Love is gritty. Saying no and keeping clear boundaries and solid rules makes sons feel loved. A deep voice or a thick beard should never fool us. Boys can’t reason like men until they are in their early twenties, so until then, we need to be strong mothers to keep them safe from themselves.

This occurs when a father communicates to his son that who he is as a man is acceptable and pleasing to him.

Some fathers give this blessing to their sons and some don’t. If a son receives it, he feels strong and self-confident. He learns to like himself because he knows that his father respects him. If a son doesn’t feel that he gets this approval from his father, he will drive himself crazy trying to prove to himself (and subconsciously, to his father) that the man he is and the work he produces are worthy of his approval. (It is important to note that when sons don’t receive this blessing from their fathers, it is necessary for us mothers to help find other men in our sons’ lives to affirm them.)