When people find out that I’m a mom of four grown sons, three grandsons and one husband, they’re puzzled at the fact that I’m surrounded by guys but I have a ministry for teen girls and women.
I’m always asked, “Why do you focus on teen girls and not teen guys?” My answer is simple, because I was once a teen girl and understand the struggles and issues that girls and women face.
Teen guys and men on the other hand, well, are just different. They think differently. They respond differently. They act differently. Or do they?
I’ll never forget the evening when my son had a bunch of teen guys at our home for a sleepover. This meant an all-nighter of playing videos, emptying the pantry of every last ounce of food, and a pile of stinky sneakers that required you to hold your breath when you entered the family room.
Everything was going great until I heard the front door open at 2 a.m. I made a mad dash to the door and on the porch step sat one of the boys.
He was upset at his friends for teasing him and waiting for his dad to pick him up. He was going home. After I received an earful from his father about the teasing of his son, the rest of the teen guys upstairs received an earful from one disappointed mother. The next day, they were all friends again.
Teen guys and teen girls are different, but they do have similarities.
1) Teen guys need their friends. It wasn’t unusual for my son to hang out with his group of friends every weekend. If they weren’t at our home, they were hanging out at another parent’s home.
Be the parent that invites all the friends over. You may go through a couple of gallons of milk and an empty cupboard by the end of the evening, but this gives you the opportunity to know who your teen son’s friends are and what they are doing.
2) Teen guys have feelings. We raise our sons to be tough and not to cry over hurt feelings, but they are sensitive too. Talk to them about their feelings and their struggles. They need you even when they are tough.
3) Show affection. Take time to hug your son. Guys love attention, and they need to know they are loved. My sons are all grown now and out on their own but every time they visit, I still give them hugs, kisses and a few head rubs.
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV)
