Dear Society, Let Our Sensitive Boys Become Sensitive Men
Highly sensitive men probably have a tougher time of it than highly sensitive females. I may be biased as I am raising three boys but it seems to me that many traits we associate with being highly sensitive don’t go hand in hand with society’s expectations of male behaviour.
Highly Sensitive Traits that Don’t Match Expectations of Males
Like wearing your heart on your sleeve. Like finding the world around you overwhelming. And needing lots of downtime. Like finding contact sports too much. Like avoiding the rough and tumble of school playground games. And letting the tears flow.
Male Stereotypes
Society expects boys to react emotionally different to girls. Boys learn early on what happens if they behave differently than the male stereotype that is thrown at them from every side. And they live with those feeling into adulthood with sometimes frightening consequences.
And that’s a shame. If you ask me, the world needs our sensitive boys to grow up to be sensitive men. Now more than ever. Just think what a different world it would be if our highly sensitive boys became adults who are not afraid to show their emotions, and stand up for the things they so passionately care about. Just imagine.
This is a topic close to my heart, as the mother of three highly sensitive sons how could it not be? It’s the subject of my latest article published by the fabulous Mamalode.
You can read ‘Let our Sensitive Boys Become Sensitive Men’ over on Mamalode now. The responses I have had to the article tell me I am certainly not alone with this plea to society – and maybe together we can shake up attitudes to boys showing emotions our highly sensitive boys so desperately need.
Together we can spread the word that society’s current expectations of males are not okay. And they need to change.
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