TIP 28. WRESTLING WITH BOYS
Raising boys is different from raising girls and requires a different parenting plan. Now this is a broad generalisation and may not apply to every family in the world, but as a general rule of thumb is applicable in most cases. 'Boys need to wrestle with their fathers'. In saying 'wrestle' I mean that boys need to have physical contests with their fathers, whether it be wrestling on the bed or playing football in the backyard etc.
These times together are important to help reinforce the boys understanding of his own 'masculinity' and strength as well as being a lot of fun. "Show me your muscles big guy!" and "Let's see if you can push dad off the bed!" are a wonderful opportunity for fathers and sons to bond. Of course if your sons are 18 years old and bigger and stronger than you are, this may be a short contest with slightly embarrassing results.
With so much 'politically correct' and 'non discriminatory' subject matter around these days, it is far too easy for the basic home truths of life to get blurred in the confusion. Boys are meant to grow up, marry a wife and have children of their own. This has been the way of life from the creation, and we can be confident that the way God chose for us is the correct one.
Spending time doing 'manly' things with your sons occasionally goes a long way toward avoiding any confusion in this area, and helps sons identify with their fathers role in the family. This is important as they are the future leaders of their own homes.
Dads' Call To Action:
Have a regular wrestle with your sons, or play a game of football in the backyard together. This will help strengthen their identity and pride in being a male.
(Genesis 25 v 27-28)
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.