3 Things Every Boy Needs to Hear from His Mom

#1: I’m So Proud of You. 

All males are powerfully moved by hearing these words, but perhaps none more so than the young, testosterone-laden boys who may at times act first, think later, and thus are more used to hearing (as they are stitched up in the Emergency Room) “What were you thinking?” If you make a point of finding and saying those things worth praising whenever they happen (like when they try out for a sports team, audition for a play or plow their way through a tough paper for Lit class), it tells a young man that this is truly who he is—not that buffoon who occasionally gets dinged for doing something dumb.