A Message For Our Highly Sensitive Boys About Male Stereotypes

Male stereotypes are damaging. Society’s expectations are causing our boys serious mental health problems. And it needs to stop. The truth is that many highly sensitive boys don’t match up to male stereotypes.

Let’s Give Our Sons a Different Message

What if we teach our sons instead that there is no right way to be a man? Let’s start early. How about we allow our sons to be the individuals they are. Let them grow into unique men, loved for who they are and not what society thinks they should be.

Get Rid of the ‘How to be a Man’ Attitude

There are stereotypes and expectations about how men should behave and be.

If you google “How to be a Man” the world and his dog has advice on the topic. What if we teach our sons instead that there is no right way to be a man?

We’re all unique, regardless of gender. Every single one of us experiences the world in a different way. We process stimuli around us differently. We think diversely.

There truly is no one way to be a man.

Males and Emotions

We all out our emotions in a unique way. Some people hide emotions, bottle them up and let them ferment. Others cry. Some cry silent tears. Some cry hidden tears. Others cry with raw primal emotion for loved ones to see. Some out emotions with rage; after all society accepts that readily from a male.

Male Stereotypes

Some men are breadwinners. Some men are stay-at-home dads.

There are boys who love team sports. There are those who prefer individual sports.

When we tell our sons that ‘this is how to be a man’, that there are traits that are male, and others that are not, we cause irreparable damage to that young boy.

A teenage boy that feels different, who doesn’t match the stereotypes thrust upon him, will feel he is lacking.

A man who feels he doesn’t live up to the expectations of how a male should be will hide his true self.

And nobody wins.

Wouldn’t it be something if we stopped saying ‘be a man’ and replaced it simply with ‘be yourself’.

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The fact is that There is No Right Way to Be a Man. And that’s the message I am raising my sons with. This post first appeared on the Good Men Project.