A Mother Raising Boys Speaks Out     Randall Smith: A culture that spends little time educating teens about successful marriages sets them up for heartache and years of unnecessary loneliness. Recently, I wrote here an article, “Toxic Femininity,” that had nothing to do with toxic femininity.  I spoke instead of our culture’s need to re-establish norms of “gentlemanliness” and find better ways of preparing young men for full adulthood, including the responsibilities of marriage and family.  Human beings are biologically “adult” – that is, they can reproduce the species — at fifteen or sixteen.  Societies must decide either to make them capable of taking on those responsibilities or suffer the consequences.  We have simply decided to suffer the consequences.            After the article appeared, a good friend, a mother of three sons, wrote to say “Good article, but. . .”

   Uh-oh.

           She had, she said, a “serious question.”  She is a passionate, intelligent woman whom I have known for many years and an accomplished writer in her own right, so allow me to let her speak for herself.

           “Where would a young adult male go today,” my friend wanted to know, “to find an adult to hang out with so he could mature? Who in public life seems like an adult by your lights?  I would pit any of my three sons, including the 22-year-old socialist and the 15-year-old baby of the family who has a lot of growing up to do, against virtually ANY (one or two glorious exceptions) teacher they have encountered in grammar or high school (to say nothing of civic leaders, sports figures, entertainment figures) for Christian virtue and manliness.” 

           She has a good point.

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2019/02/27/a-mother-raising-boys-speaks-out/?utm_source=The+Catholic+Thing+Daily&utm_campaign=05279f4efd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_12_07_01_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_769a14e16a-05279f4efd-244213773