Traditional masculinity prescribes stoicism between father and son. But when it comes to talking to sons about the birds and the bees, silence and a few well-placed words is not the best tactic for a father and son to choose. In fact, discussions around sex, money, and love should be just that: discussions. The more talking, the better and you can leave the birds and the bees out of it. Dr. Tim Hawkes is headmaster of the King’s School. As an educator, he ensures his students take a respectful approach to topics fathers should take seriously with their sons, such as mental health, pornography, and how much it’ll actually cost them to buy a car. Hawkes’ new book, 10 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son, serves as a roadmap for some of these essential chats. RELATED: How American Boys Learn to Speak Like American Men
Discuss the Up and Downs of Depression
The most common causes of death for teenage boys in the Western world are accidents and suicide, says Hawkes. The fastest-growing ailment is depression. He says fathers have to teach their kids how to insulate themselves against this “black dog,” and that means bringing the conversation out into the open. Hawkes said he once had a boy come into his office who was upset about the comments of the other kids. “I said, ‘Who’s in control of your life? You’re giving permission to these people you don’t respect to control your mood,’ ” he says. He advises urging your son to “give the keys to well-being to people whose opinions you respect.” It might not work the first time. Hell, it might not work the tenth. But this advice will lead to a new understanding, and open the doors for more conversations about mental health.
Make Financial Conversations With Kids Explicit
As the warrior poets of the Wu-Tang Clan once said: Cash rules everything around me. Yet, despite how many dolla, dolla bills you have, most know very little about being responsible with money. And those little people you’re spending it on know even less. Hawkes advises that you make up for the lack of financial literacy lessons in schools by doing it yourself. Begin by talking about the one thing nearly every little boy loves: cars. Well before they have their license, price out how much buying and owning one will cost. Now they can see that life is a highway, and if they want to drive it all night long they have to pony up for gas and insurance. How do lease payments work? What’s the difference between premium and super-premium? And why will they hate paying bills for the rest of their lives? You can move on to other topics from there. Otherwise, they’ll hit college and not know how to handle a car payment, let alone a credit card.
Talk About the Birds and the Bees, and the Pornhubs
You’ve definitely had sex (tada, a kid), but most dads don’t do a sufficient job of talking about sex in a straightforward, giggle-free way. When you don’t say anything, your kid’s peers do the talking for you. You’ve seen your son’s friends. They’re fine wingmen in Call Of Duty, but they don’t know anything about sex. Hawkes says, ask your son if he wants to be a “porn man or a real man.” Explain to him that a porn man is into self-gratification, self-indulgence, and domination. He’s living in a fantasy world inspired by Dan Bilzerian’s Instagram account. A real man, on the other hand, is interested in self-control, offers protection and commitment, and lives in a real-world where he’s earned the respect of his family and the people around him. ALSO: How To Talk To Your Kids About Porn He also says to open up the lines of communication by encouraging your kids to ask questions like “When did you no longer like Mom, but you knew you loved her?” says Hawkes. It’s a conversation that will lead to others. He also says to start bringing up sexual topics during the elementary school years, because unfortunately, that’s when it starts to get real nowadays.
Communicate Your Love by Simply Showing Up
This is the easiest trick of all — you just need to show up. Research shows that most dads spend only a few minutes a day with their sons. So, be the dad who logs a ridiculous amount of time driving to whatever karate class, finger-painting show, or recorder recital they’re having. That commute might also be a good time to bring up something you’ve been meaning to talk to them about.
