Does someone in your family tell you not to let your baby boy play with dolls? Do they tell you to be tough on him because you don’t want him to be a crybaby? Do they frown when he says he likes to dance or play dress up? Do they worry that he will be a girly girl?
Despite generations of being harsh on boys and squashing their sensitivity flat, you should remember that your son has emotions and is equally entitled to them as girls. They should be allowed to express whether they are sad, they are angry, they are upset, they are afraid. They should never be told that expressing those feelings is wrong.
Nurturing the Traits We Want to See
It’s important to nurture in your son or daughter those traits you would find to be attractive in an adult. Too often you hear women complaining that men are not sensitive and that they do not display their emotions and that there is a gap in the way we communicate.
Recognize that the children you raise are instilled with these traits at a very young age. Yes, there are biological differences and boys will be boys. But I would much rather a boy were comfortable with not only expressing his emotions, but feeling them as well.
Don’t stifle your baby boy, instead, help him grow into an emotional mature and intellectually sensitive being. Open the doors, don’t close them. Have you had to cope with others wanting your son to be stifled emotionally?