About Boys - The Southport School

Be active in their lives. Meet their friends. Become
aware of the power of your parenting. Clarify your own
values and be explicit about these. In forming their own
value system, they will scrutinise yours. Don’t leave
them wondering what your values are.
> Have a plan for your son’s spiritual and moral development.
Too many boys receive scant if any education in these
important areas. Many times, it is not until a boy does
something that is horrifically amoral, that we scratch our
heads and wonder why he does not know right from wrong.
Start moral education at an early age.
> Be an informed parent. There is a bibliography with
books about boys and books for boys at the back of this
booklet.
> Expose boys to a wide range of cultures and points of
view from an early age. As mentioned earlier, boys tend
not to be accepting of ‘outsiders’ and to be intolerant of
differences. Don’t wait until rigid prejudices are established
before you talk with them about tolerance of differences.
> Develop a multi-layered support system. Boys who
have several strong support systems, for example,
parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, coaches
teachers and caring adult mentors who run clubs and
activities are less likely to get into serious difficulties.