52. Initiating Our Sons Into Manhood, with Don Ross
Our sons are going to grow up. The passage of time is inevitable. But even when our sons' bodies are fully grown, does that mean they're a man? What defines a man? Better yet, what makes for a good man?
The journey to manhood doesn't -- or shouldn't -- happen by accident. It requires intentional initiation by a father. As Don Ross, founder of Manhood Tribes, explains in this episode, it's incumbent on us as fathers to do three things for our sons as they journey to manhood: 1) cast a vision of what a man is; 2) give them opportunities to practice being a man; and 3) dedicate a season to helping them become a man.
In this wide-ranging discussion of manhood, we delve into each of these three areas in detail. We explore what Don calls the 5 Marks of Manhood, discuss practical "manhood challenges" that we can do with our sons to help them grow in each of those five areas, understand the value of community as part of this process, and overall lay out a framework to help you initiate your son(s) into manhood. As fathers, we know that intentionality is necessary for this stage of our sons' lives, but we don't always know what that looks like. You'll have a much better idea after listening to this episode thanks to the wisdom and insight that Don shares.
Resources
- First Tribe: Path to Manhood - A 9-month rite of passage program for dads with middle school sons.
- Your Teenager Is Not Crazy, by Jerusha Clark et al.
A Dose of Motivation
βMan is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.β β Benjamin Disraeli
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Music in this episode is from "Good Ol' Man" (Β©2022) by Drew Green and reproduced with permission from Drew Green.
