R-E-S-P-E-C-T

You know the song but is it a reality in your house?? Moms, we gotta teach our boys (and girls) "a little respect when they get home"! Boys need desperately to be taught to respect women - of all ages. This can be hard to do in a society where all too often women do not respect themselves and their dress code (or lack thereof) reflects that. You get my drift?

Boys need to open doors, carry in the groceries, take out the trash and watch their language. This is not because women are the 'weaker' sex but rather because women, according to GOD, deserve to be honored and cherished. Moms, even your own sons need to honor and cherish you. If they do not honor and cherish their own mothers how can we expect them to honor and cherish their teachers, professors, employers and most importantly, their wives and daughters?

Chris has done a great job of teaching our son, Jack, to honor women. Whenever we are together, Jack opens my car door (yes, at the young age of 10!). As we enter a store, he tells me, "Mom, don't touch that door." He accompanied me to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. When we reached the car with our basket of groceries, he said, "Mom, you can go ahead and get in, I've got these."

When Jack does this I immediately say, "Jack, that's exactly how a man would act." We've got to put 'manhood' in a positive light. Too often, television/media put 'manhood' in a negative light. Have you heard the phrase, "That's just like a man!" We need to turn that around and show our sons that manhood is something to be proud of.

An unknown author said, "Every gentleman is a man, but not every man is a gentleman." How true. How true. Let's gently but firmly teach our boys to be proud of opening the door for us. Let's be the cheering section when they say, "Yes, ma'am." As courtesy and respect manifest themselves in areas of his life, we'll see them become lifelong habits and someday a young lady will greatly appreciate our investment.

For those of you who have daughters, I hope you are teaching them to only date men who first- love Jesus, and; secondly- have impeccable manners. You would never let your daughter go out with a boy who honks his car in front of your house beckoning her to come out! Never! Moms, our sons will be those boys someday unless we teach them better.

Boys need to not only be taught how to respect women but also how to love them. Talk to your son about what is important to women and what things cause them pain. Teach them to treasure women. Teach them that women are of great value and should be treated with gentleness and respect.

When it comes to the big R-E-S-P-E-C-T, my son knows just 'what it means to me'. He's learning how to 'sock it to me' with incredible manners and love. Let's rock it out together and raise a generation of men who master the lost art of dignity and respect!