Is your son struggling in school? He’s not alone.

Unfortunately, many traditional schools are not set up to maximize a young man’s success. First, boys are wired to be movers, so sitting all day can be a challenge. Second, boys’ ears are less skilled at picking up higher frequencies, so learning from a female teacher’s voice can be difficult. And lastly, boys usually develop slower than girls, so when compared to their female peers, it can seem like boys are behind.

Here’s how you can help as a parent– show your son grace and patience. Meet with his teacher to discuss alternative learning options. And before and after school, make sure he has lots of opportunities to get outside and “be a boy.”

For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

How fast can a riptide kill you?

Matthew was about to find out.  Caught in a riptide off the coast, he watched the shoreline grow further away as he exhausted himself fighting against the current.  Weak and in despair, he suddenly remembered his training, and swam a short twenty feet out of the current, where he was able to float, recover his strength, and swim back to shore.

Today’s toxic culture wants to drag your children far away, and fighting the culture is exhausting and demoralizing.  Give them the tools to recognize the current and swim out of it, and they’ll find an entire ocean ready to explore and adventure in.  You can do it.  It’s a challenging task, and the blessings last forever.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

How can you teach your son how to have a relationship with Jesus?

 A parent of a prodigal child was reflecting on his kid’s growing up years, and said, quote: “I’ve realized that we raised our children in church, but not in Christ.” [end quote]

How can we teach our boys to abide in Jesus?

First, we have to make sure our own walk with the Lord is growing. Second, encourage your son to not just attend a church service, but also join a small group and serve in a ministry. And finally, let your son have his own relationship with God. He might not connect with God exactly how you do. Trust that our clever Creator will speak to your son on His own terms.

For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Has your son ever wanted to be a knight?

Plastic swords and armor strewn about his room, breastplate dangling from his bedpost, and picture books of Teutonic knights adorn many a boy’s room.

What is it about righting wrongs, defeating evil tyrants and rescuing the innocent that calls out to a boy?

The Bible says, “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”  God teaches us a desire to save the helpless and see righteousness prevail in his word.

Affirm your son's desires to do right, to help save others and to rescue the perishing.  You may be amazed at the size of his heart for helping others.

For information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

How does a boy learn right from wrong?

Sometimes, boys can learn more from our mistakes than from our teaching.  Brian had just finished teaching ax and saw safety to a troop of boys eager to build towers and rope bridges.  While loading his equipment, he carelessly tossed a saw that bounced and rolled to within a foot of the boys he had just taught about safety.

Everyone froze.  They all stared as he pulled out his wood tools safety card, and handed it to the 14-year-old troop leader, who tore it up and said he would have to take the safety course again!

Brian graciously accepted the consequences from a boy leader.  All the boys learned that day that real men accept responsibility.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Do you know where the world’s tallest skyscraper is located?

At an incredible height of 2,722 feet (just over half a mile), Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, is almost 500 feet taller than the second-tallest skyscraper.

If you want to build high, you must first dig deep and build a foundation below the surface.

As a parent, grandparent, or mentor, you can help build a deep and firm biblical foundation for children.

A child’s foundation of faith is best built by purposefully and consistently sharing God’s truths with them through what you say and do.

Use the time you have with them to teach them God’s Word and how it applies to their lives.

For more information about a Proven Process that is helping boys grow into godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Have you ever seen good advice ignored, with hilarious results?

I heard about a boy who camped with a new group of friends in a campground he knew well.  It flooded frequently, and was nicknamed, “The Swamp.”  All of the adults and other boys ignored his advice to camp on higher ground, and they pitched their tents in the easy, sandy soil.

Finding the highest ground, he slept through the night to the lullaby sound of rhythmic drumming rain, and woke to find the camp a wet, soggy shambles, while he was high and dry.

Many times, easiest is not best, and it is good to listen to the voice of experience.

For information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Here’s an idea to connect with your son: show him your high school yearbook.

First, let him make fun of your outdated haircut and clothes. Show him the picture of your basketball team, and the page where it says you were voted class clown.

Next, show him pictures of your friends. Talk about what friendships ended and which ones have lasted through the years.

And finally, talk about the power of choices. Be honest about what you’re proud of and what you regret. Share about your relationship with your own parents at that time. Show your son how God used both the good and the bad for His own glory in your life. After all, as the verse in Revelation reminds us, we overcome through the word of our testimony.

For more ideas on raising boys to become godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Why is there an attack on biblical manhood?

All around us, the very idea of a man as a devout father, provider, and hard worker is ridiculed and torn down.  A spineless, conforming, weak-willed androgyne is modeled, and we are told to sacrifice our sons to modern culture.

How can you keep your son safe from these attacks?

Model godly character.  What he sees in you, he will follow.

Provide godly mentors.  Show him a standard he can trust and hold.

Give him a challenge.  Overcoming small challenges like a canoe trip, daily spiritual disciplines, a rock-climbing adventure, or a mountain peak will give him the confidence to go against the grain and become a godly man of character.

For more information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

“In a thousand feet, turn left.”

Imagine that you’re driving in a town you’ve never visited before. The GPS on your phone is telling you what turns you need to make.  But suddenly, your phone’s battery dies. Without your GPS, you feel lost, alone, and you wonder if you’ll even make it to your desired destination.

That “lost”  feeling is what many young men experience in our society today. In the confusion of cultural relativism, mixed roles, and gender fluidity, boys don’t know who they are supposed to be.

The solution is that boys need two things– a biblical foundation, and godly mentors. With those two things, boys can develop confidence and direction, so they can learn to navigate the unfamiliar interstate of life.

For more ideas on raising boys to become godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.