Section A: Boyhood

DURING the stage of boyhood, each parent should understand that boys will experiment with many things, which will give them personal life experience and teach various lessons. This is a critical stage for every parent to train and develop their sons. Imparting good values, morals, manners, and other key teachings to sons during the early phase of their lives is crucial, as it lays a solid foundation for their future.

Boys need guidance. While external persons can provide some guidance, it is often best for them to receive guidance from their parents and siblings. Parents often see and know their children’s strengths and weaknesses and know how to help them. Proper guidance and encouragement can lead to children developing quickly and, therefore, becoming valuable resources to their parents and society.

Educating boys is essential for ensuring that they play important roles in our society in the future. Education has no gender bias, so parents have to constantly ensure that their sons are properly educated. Sports and games are also important for boys, as they learn to be disciplined and co-operate with others. Through sports, team spirit and accountability are developed, and boys can apply these qualities to their relationships when they become husbands.

Parents must train their children to respect everyone. Boys may sometimes show resistance to this, but as parents constantly remind their sons, many of those boys will begin to show respect, and people will start to talk about how mannerly they are.

Having a relationship with the Creator is important for adults and children alike. The example set by parents in this regard is one that their children will follow. Many children go on to have a continuous relationship with the Creator and eventually take on major roles within religious institutions. Moral values must be taught within the home. Both boys and girls must learn important moral lessons so that when they have their own families, they will be able to pass on those values.

Most boys will learn about sex from schoolmates, neighbours, and other persons, but the information they learn is sometimes incorrect. Therefore, parents must be one of the major teachers of sexual education within the home. The experience that parents have is reasonable enough to guide their sons. Parents should guide their sons on being in a relationship, emphasising that there are more important things than sex in a relationship. This guidance is especially important for boys of adolescent age. Family planning may be taught mainly to girls, but this practice must change, and both sons and daughters must become aware of family planning before they enter into relationships.

Section B: Manhood

As sons transition from boyhood to manhood, they enter another significant phase of life. They are expected to demonstrate many of the things their parents taught them. There are still areas in which these men will need to improve, since no parent can teach a child everything.

During this phase of manhood, men will test the things they have learned from their parents and friends. Sometimes, they want to explore life. They are willing to take on new challenges, even if they fail. Gaining experience includes both failure and success. Those who want to be successful must be willing to try, rather than spending most of their time only thinking about what it may be like.

The money earned by men must be used wisely, so when they are ready to establish their own families, they have savings. To manage their finances effectively, people need to increase their earnings, make informed investments, and carefully track their spending. When men manage their money well during their single life, they may become good stewards within their new family.

When a woman is looking for a companion, she may seek a man who knows how to perform domestic tasks. While she does not expect him to be the only person doing domestic work at home, his contribution can have a significant impact on the family. Men who were taught by their parents to be involved in domestic tasks must make good use of those skills, which will help their family have more time for love and laughter.

Finding a companion may not be as easy as finding a job. Those seeking companions must possess values and look for someone with the potential to contribute to the family’s growth. There are many places to find a suitable companion. Once a person finds someone and is reasonably satisfied with that individual, then it may be time to consider marriage.

Section C: Fatherhood

Having a family is not a task for boys, but for men who are committed and want to make a positive contribution to society. Some men are running away from family life, while others are running towards it. Not everyone realises the significant commitment required to live with a companion and raise children.

Those men who are fathers are expected to be good fathers to their children. Every child wants a father who sets a good example for them to follow, and many children use their fathers as role models. Fathers must also be willing to take their children to clinics, watch movies with them, and play with them. When fathers attend Parent-Teacher Association meetings, they send a strong message to teachers that they are involved in their children’s educational development.

Protecting the family is a job given to fathers—not to security companies—and the protection provided by fathers is more than just physical strength. Women sometimes marry men because they need someone to protect them, and children love to know that they have a father who can keep them safe. Fathers and mothers can provide for their families, but when fathers are the main source of financial support, they must take pride in doing so for their family.

Fathers must be firm yet gentle with their children, although children may not always appreciate firmness. When fathers are firm, it helps boys to desist from wrong behaviour and avoid following those who will not contribute to their success.

Children must learn to respect their parents, friends, and neighbours. The respect shown to others will help children win friendships and achieve success. Parents—teach your children to respect everyone, and teach your sons to be responsible fathers so that their families will be happy thereafter.

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