Approaching Manhood—Part Two

Last fortnight I focused your attention on the visit of Jonathan Doyle. He now has visited the College and I am confident that any of the parents who attended last week’s seminar considered it to be very worthwhile and concluded that this man certainly has a very good grasp of the issues facing our young men.

Having been to both the evening seminar and the two periods in the afternoon with our Year 10 students I thought it would be helpful to you if I reiterated the Seven Key Strategies Jonathan emphasised at the conclusion of both sessions. Jonathan’s ability to engage 200 Year 10 students over a period of 90 minutes was very impressive and the content on offer was of the highest quality.

Here are the Seven Key Strategies for growing into manhood:

1. For the rest of your life, whatever is easy, don’t do that. Do what is hard.

2. Realise that your happiness in life depends on realising that life is not about you.

3. Manhood is what happens when no one else is looking.

4. In the end, it is only your commitments that will define you.

5. Look at what everyone else does and do the opposite.

6. Nothing will reward you for ten years.

7. Legacy—what you leave behind matters.

Jonathan also warned about “autonomous rooms” (bedrooms) and quoted psychologist Dr Bill O’Hehir, “A lot of kids are coming home, not to a home, as we understand it. Their bedrooms have become ‘autonomous rooms’. Kids are eating in their rooms. They have their iPod (and iPhone), TV and computer in their rooms —where is the reason or incentive to leave it?”

• Make your home THE HUB! Make sure you know all your son’s friends and their parents and, as much as possible, make sure that your home is “the place to be”.
• TIME, TIME, TIME—spend as much time with them as possible. Create events and circumstances that make it possible to just be together.
• Example, example, example—remember the words of Albert Schweitzer. “We cannot ask of them what we have not at least attempted to master ourselves.”

Jonathan posts a weekly podcast, which is available on his website www.choicez.com.au (follow the Pod Tab). Beyond this, Choicez also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Or, you can contact directly by email at info@choicez.com.au

Happy parenting!

Rev David N Williams
Chaplain