Raising Boys to Respect Girls

October 16, 2017

October 11th was the International Day of the Girl. Being a boy mom, I didn't think much of it. I casually looked at posts brandishing the hashtag and went about my day. As I played with my youngest, I started making mental notes of all the things we needed to start going over with him - the alphabet, numbers, phrases, etc. My brain naturally went from educational teachings to moral teachings, and in that moment, I had a realization. Even though both of my children are boys, I shouldn't brush off recognition or celebration of girls. On the contrary, I should emphasize them.


Girls are amazing. They do hard and holy things, and they work hard to change the world. (Ann Voskamp) We have to teach our boys to value them as they value themselves. We must teach them that real men hallow women (Ann Voskamp) and vice versa. Our boys need to understand how every single person on this earth matters. Regardless of gender, we are all God's people. He made all of us in His image and loves all of our differences. Gender equality is of the utmost importance. Understanding personal boundaries is a necessity. It is our job to show them that being kind and respectful can have profound effects on our fellow human beings. When we treat each other as equals, we can work harder - together - to promote the greater good.


So, where do we start? We start at home. We lead by example. Mothers and fathers should be reverent, while working together to build up their family. We are the first and most important role models our children have. If you want your sons to grow up with full hearts and open minds, you too must have full hearts and open minds. Basically, we need to practice what we preach. We need to open our Bibles to show them how God lifted up women in history and made them heroes. We need to lead our sons through the scripture giving them examples of how the humility and love of Jesus Christ saved women in need and led them to do great and wonderful things.


No girl should live in fear. No girl should feel disrespected because of her gender. No girl should feel less than what she is - a daughter of the One True King. It is our responsibility to raise sons who understand and live out these concepts. We may not be able to change the narrative in our lifetime, but we can raise a more loving and humble generation that embraces faith and a true understanding of one another.