Yesterday I talked about little girls, so it’s only fair to give equal time to little boys. When I was pregnant with our second child, I didn’t know it would be a son. I had some apprehension about having a boy. What would I teach him? How could I relate to him? Would he turn out to be a good man? My expectations became reality, when our baby boy was born. I would experience the joy of cuddling the precious little bundle and watching him grow into the image of his dad. He followed his father’s footsteps into the woods at the age of three. Tramping along with daddy as he was taught all the things he needed to know about nature and the outdoors.

I would soon see the results of that as he brought home all kinds of wildlife – including bugs of all kinds, frogs and toads, a baby duck and a snake. It was the only snake he brought home. After peeling me off the ceiling, he promised he would never do that again. He had a bucket of toads that he kept in a window well of our house. They escaped and made their way inside. As I watched TV one night, I saw something moving across the shag carpeting. It wasn’t moving too fast, because it kept getting stuck in the carpet. That was the end of the toad collection.

I knew I could count on him to get rid of any pests that might invade our house. One day I heard our oldest daughter screaming that there was a mouse in the hallway. I immediately heard the whack of a tennis racket and then a cry of disgust from my daughter. My boy had come to the rescue, although I never saw the results. Another time he donned a football helmet and with hands armed with tennis racket and fishing net, went on the hunt for a bat. That tennis racket got quite a workout in our home, but we didn’t need to call an exterminator.

Little boys are totally different than little girls – although in the current day and age, we’re expected to accept the right to change that if we choose and not to look down on anyone who does. I don’t want to offend other people, but for some reason, our world has become so sensitive to issues regarding gender identity that we find it necessary to rethink Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. But don’t get me started.

When we’re responsible for raising children that will be an asset to society, our thoughts should be focused on the ultimate goal. Little boys will grow into men. The way they are treated as boys will indicate how they relate to others when they reach their adult years. They need to be shown by example what it is to be a strong role model for their children. They need leadership skills. They need to respect women and treat them with honor. They must be taught how to use their talents to help others. There is a natural difference between the sexes and God ordained them for a reason. The minute we try to take God’s plans and manipulate them into our own desires, we are stepping way out of bounds.

Raising children in this period of time is challenging beyond my imagination. I’m glad God put me in a different generation. Times change. We need to adapt to some of those changes, but I really think it’s time we got back to basics again.