Eureka, I have solved the problem!
Women have spent the last 20 years trying to solve this problem and it is only getting worse they say. Common sense needs to prevail.
OK, so we know that biologically males and females are different but we don’t want to listen to that or take it into account, do we?
So let’s combine the psychology and philisophy. Let’s look to what we are raising. I was asked the question myself last night, “Am I raising men or boys?” And I have seen the light.
This is my problem for I have been raising my boys to be men and not an equal to a female being raised into a woman.
We have been doing it wrong, I agree. So here is the solution.
From this day forth we will start from the birth of our children. Our boys we will dress in pretty dressess and pink ribbons. When they fall over as toddlers we will remind them how weak they are. We will pamper them in cotton wool and shower them in bracelets and jewels. We will make them emotional human beings and teach them to cry.
Our girls we will dress in pants, shirts and ties. We will teach them to harden up when they fall over as toddlers. We will work them so their hands are rough and continually explain it is their responsibility as females to protect the weak.
When they are teenagers we will send them off to the armed forces where they will learn strictness, discipline and combat.
Our teenage boys we will be patient with, forever encouraging them to keep themselves clean and pretty.
And for the males that exist today, for we have just raised them wrong, we will round them up and ……… (imagination please).
Julie,
No you have not solved the problem at all.
Women do not raise MEN
Women can only raise boys
Boys do not become MEN without active DADS and Men-Tors
Most Men are therefore boys
I who had one of the best of DADS am still a boy in many area’s because he thought being a DAD was bringing in the bacon first and seconded all the other stuff he tried to do – fishing – Rugby – boat building – gardening – tramping – BBQ’s – and On.
Boys need their own DADs and as many Men-Tors as possible to have any gripe on what being a MAN is all about.
Onward – Jim
Comment by Jim Bailey — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 7:54 am
http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/dpdarticle.php?article_id=3469&PHPSESSID=9a5894414f42be3e4e41fc19cbc3688a
Comment by Mark Lloyd — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 8:44 am
Guys,
I am having a dig here. But like the feedback.
Comment by julie — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 9:26 am
Interesting pot-boiler Julie! I’ve raised 2 boys, 2 girls, & Miriam (my partner) has raised two boys and one girl, all grown up now. This issue was current even in Playcentre manuals in the early 70’s, and we tried to make boys and girls all play the same way in those days.
Key thing is to LET GO of stereotypes amd let children develop their potential, whatever it is. Let the boys that want to do home-craft do it (I enjoy being a home-maker, as well as being an Engineer) let the girls who want to do “boy things” do that too.
Insist on the same social standards too- e.g. girls not allowed to get away with hitting boys etc, boys allowed to express emotions when needed
Also say to interfering know-all social workers, teachers, lawyers and such-
“Lets not allow YOUR STEREOTYPES become a problem for MY /OUR family.”
I also think that now we need ‘affirmative action’ to support boys who get put down too much.
Comment by John Brett — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 10:03 am
Also say to interfering know-all social workers, teachers, lawyers and such-
“Lets not allow YOUR STEREOTYPES become a problem for MY /OUR family.”
PURE GOLD John!!
Comment by Mark Lloyd — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 11:42 am
To me this raises a serious point : How bad does it have to get before society and the ‘government’ realise that in order to raise a young lad into a responsible Man, He needs a Father to look up to and to show him how to be a Man.
At the current rate many of our young boys are being raised solely by thier Mothers, and this rate is for ever increasing.
How on earth can a Mother teach a young Man to be a Man, let alone a Father ?
Thus our Nation continues on the downward spiral…. Boys becoming Men, and eventaully Fathers without knowing how to be a good Man and a good Dad and to contribute towards keeping their family together.
Thus, more families come to be without more Dads and the problem becomes exponential…
Why on earth do the fairer sex insist on trying to be Men and at the same time expect to be treated like Women ?
Have our females forgotten how to be Women, and what it means to be a Lady, or is it a case of “the grass is always greener on the other side…”
Comment by Moose — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 11:56 am
In the early 1900s families used to dress their young boys in dresses and take a photo. I’ve seen a few families with these old photos. So it has been done before (Old Hat). Julie I thought you were too busy with paperwork. I think you have the female gossip obsession with making the rounds of chit chat and **** disturbing. That means you have too much time on your hands, not what you said yesterday. You must make up your mind on how much time you have and how serious you wish to be taken.
Eureka, you have upstaged the last great and important article about men in action with frivolousness masked as humour (I’ve seen this a few times now with important news by these other men, hope it isn’t intentional). I always try to save lesser input till there is a slow period of these men in action. For they deceive to be at the top of the page for as long as possible, like heroes should be.
Comment by Intrepid — Thu 15th June 2006 @ 5:26 pm
Intrepid responds to Julie saying – “Eureka, you have upstaged the last great and important article about men in action with frivolousness masked as humour (I’ve seen this a few times now with important news by these other men, hope it isn’t intentional). I always try to save lesser input till there is a slow period of these men in action. For they deserve to be at the top of the page for as long as possible, like heroes should be”.
Spot on bro’.
Julie for someone who claims to not have much time you seem to do a lot of grandstanding, and like Intrepid says some of it seems frivolous and usurps airpsace for more serious issues.
I too wish you’d desist.
Comment by Stephen — Sat 17th June 2006 @ 12:43 am
OK, I hear you loud and clear Intrepid and Stephen.
Comment by julie — Sat 17th June 2006 @ 9:57 am