How should I behave toward him?

Awkward age is a very important period, when a child’s psychological

ego-perception changes. He actively seeks for his ego, tries to find

his place among peers, and reflects on the meaning of life. Simultaneously,

he experiences organism rebuilding; he meets the time of love. All this

brings a huge psychological loading. The result is irritation, behavior

changes and depression. It is very important not to lose contact with

your son at this moment. You don’t have to worm yourself into

his confidence or copy what he is occupied with, where he goes, whom

he is friends with; if he trusts you, he will share all the details

with you. Of course, one should think over the trust far earlier, but

at this moment be wise and don’t try to pacify the raging character.

Be tactful to your son. Do not laugh at his fears or hesitations. Do

not say, “What nonsense you are talking about?” or “What

love is there at the age of 15?” If he knows you are always ready

to listen to him and give a helping hand, he won’t be secretive

and you will be able to control the situation.

knight. How can we develop manliness in a son?

The time when a man protected his family and house with arms in his

hands has passed. Manliness is still valuable, but modern life conditions

make great demands of the male sex – they have to defend by intellect

and resourcefulness rather than by hands. Today, a successful man should

possess qualities traditionally peculiar to women - sociability, ability

to catch the collocutor’s mood and the ability to sympathize.

That’s why a traditional manliness-oriented upbringing is sure

to complicate a son’s life rather than to simplify it. A boy must

feel self-confident, and know that he is able to protect himself and

his family, but modern ladies don’t want “a master in the

house” anymore. They want independence, they require emotional

sensitivity and they don’t want to play the role of classical

housewife anymore. Even career promotion depends not on direct pressure

and fidelity to principle, but on the ability to maneuver and to support

people’s contacts. Thus, a modern young man is not supposed to

be brutal, but possess leadership qualities in combination with flexibility

and sensitivity.

Certainly, today good education plays an important role, that’s

why parents save money for a good school, university or various educational

courses. Unfortunately, education only is not enough for a son to find

a good job and to obtain quick promotion as soon as he gets his diploma.

And talent is still not enough. There is a saying – fate is a

character. It is the character that makes a man successful. A boy must

be definitely sure of himself; he must know that he can solve any problem.

Also, bring up industry in your son. But you must take into account

individual peculiarities of your son while you are cultivating these

qualities. For instance, if he is lively and active, there is no sense

in making him sit over the textbooks for hours – by this you will

just make him lose interest in labor.

Always say to your child that you believe in him, that he will cope

with everything, and praise him not only for good results, but for efforts

as well, even if they didn’t meet with success yet. Do not hold

up other children as an example – by this, you make him think

that he is worse than others in the eyes of the closest people. Love

him for himself, and not for the fact that he has brought good marks.

Be very attentive to his passions – it is important to help him

with the future profession orientation or at least to plan the sphere

of his future activity. Do not repeat a common mistake when parents

impose on their children what they failed to do themselves. A person