According to Dr. Meg Meeker, boys today grow up in a world that is often at odds with their natural instincts to be curious and to explore. They’re taught to be cooperative and passive, to stay safe and avoid risks. What’s more, parents don’t always recognize how dangerous social media, popular entertainment, and marathon gaming can be for boys. Overconsumption can deaden their sensibilities and disconnect them from human interaction.
Dr. Meeker bases her expertise in years of clinical experience as a pediatrician, relevant scientific data, common sense, and her Christian faith. She is recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on parenting, teenagers, and children’s health.
She’s joining me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to help you raise your sons with healthy masculinity that empowers them to strive forward, be open to adventure, and take risks.
Dr. Meeker says teenage boys don’t get into trouble primarily because of negative peer pressure but because they’re not challenged to pursue something bigger than themselves. Encouragement can ignite passion in a boy that infuses him with confidence to believe he can achieve any goal he sets out to accomplish.
She offers seven secrets to raising healthy sons:
- Know how to encourage your sons.
- Understand what your boys need.
- Recognize that boys were made for the outdoors.
- Remember that boys need rules.
- Acknowledge that virtue is not just for girls.
- Learn how to teach your son about the big questions in life.
- Remember that the most important person in your son’s life is you.
Listen to our full conversation on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.