I've reposted this list from lilsugar, but have made some of my own additions!
There's a special bond between mothers and sons. Women raising boys have the power to shape the next generation of men and those to come by teaching their kids important lessons.
1.To express his emotions because bottling them up eventually makes a person explode. [I agree - women dig sensitive men. Every phone conversation and day should end with "I Love You!"]
2.To say "ladies first," hold doors open for women, and give his date the jacket off his back when he or she is cold because the world is moving forward in wonderful ways but that doesn't mean chivalry has to die. [Love this!]
3.To put the toilet seat down after he pees, change his sheets frequently, learn to cook, and do laundry. [I often pray for Travis's future wife and hope that her mommy is praying for Travis. I want Travis to be the best husband to her one day and learning some basic housework type stuff is great (Brandon is the best clean dish putter upper ever). However, more importantly to me, is that Travis learns the "man" chores. He needs to know how to fix a leaky toilet, mow the yard, take out trash, change the tire, etc., and I'm sure his dad and grandfathers will help with those. I will make sure that he isn't clueless around the kitchen, and will teach him the "I cook, you clean" rule early on.]
4.To channel his energy through sports, art, dance, the written word — whatever his passion may be. [I'm all for helping him find his niche, but I'm not going to raise a quitter. If he has given an activity a fair shake, and it isn't for him, then I'm all about trying something else. Gonna have to sell his daddy and the grandfathers on dance, though!]
5.That even the biggest fight should be settled with the mind rather than fists. [Um, sure, but I want Travis to know how to throw a punch just in case.]
6.That not following the group doesn't make him a loser, but his own leader. [Unless the group is doing the right thing. Don't be different just for the sake of being different. Sometimes you lead by following.]
7.To stick up for the underdog even if it makes him an outcast. [Yep, everyone deserves respect and a friend. I'll try to teach him to love one another, and that Jesus loves everyone. In our discussion of the underdog, it may be a good teaching moment to discuss "point spreads" and "over/under". We'll see how that shakes out!]
8.That he has the power to make an amazing difference in life. [I want him to understand this on a micro and macro level. "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world."]
9.To worry less about whether she's proud of him and more about having pride in himself. [If Travis has pride in himself, I will no doubt be proud of him. Just give it everything you've got, and I'll be your #1 fan! You should see how I swell with pride when the little guy puts himself to sleep at naptime. You would have thought he won the gold medal!]
10.Smiles are free so be generous with them. [Kisses are free too, but be stingy with them.]
Xoxo,
Gara
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