Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Have you ever seen two young boys greet one another with a friendly tackle? Does your son seem bent on pursuing the most challenging and risk-filled path to wherever he’s going? Today, special guest Melanie Young joins HSLDA President Mike Smith on Home School Heartbeat to share her experience as a mom of six boys.

Raising Real Men

Raising Real Men looks beyond the untied shoes and dirty jeans to what the Lord means your son to be. Learn how to help him focus on schoolwork, find real heroes, stand alone when he needs to, and become a real man one day. Don’t just survive raising boys, succeed at it—and learn how to love them as they really are.

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Mike Smith:
My guest today is Melanie Young, a mom of six sons and the coauthor of the book Raising Real Men. Melanie, welcome to the program!

Melanie Young:
Hi Mike, I’m glad to be here!

Mike:
Melanie, the boy’s need for competition, adventure, and even danger can be very difficult for a mom to understand. How have you come to appreciate and encourage this drive in your own six boys?

Melanie:
Mike, it sure is hard for a mom like me to see what’s so attractive to our boys in danger and destruction. We need to remember that God has a purpose for those traits. It takes a lot of courage and risk-taking to be an underground missionary, or a godly political leader. As mothers, we’ve got to be careful not to undermine these manly virtues because we want to keep our sons safe.

We do need to teach our boys to take reasonable risks, though. It’s not right to risk your life for mere thrill. Therefore, you wear helmets, you put on your seatbelt, “You don’t do it, son, unless you’re likely to do it safely.’ On the other hand, to risk your life for the cause of Christ, when eternal things are on the line, is noble!

Our boys should have righteously adventurous heroes: soldiers risking death to protect those at home, bold Christians spreading the gospel in closed countries, and courageous emergency workers rescuing the helpless in disasters. Even if they never face those things, that’s the kind of men we want them to be.

Mike:
Melanie, that’s a great perspective! I think moms of boys listening today will really benefit from your insights. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.