Work, Pay, Connect, and Talk: A Doctor’s Prescription for Raising Good, Strong Sons

In a society that measures success by status and income, one father emphasizes character, commitment, and the ability to care for others.

Shared work in childhood helps boys build practical skills and responsibility. evgenyatamanenko/Getty Images

There’s lots of talk these days about the “masculinity crisis” and building boys into men. From best-selling writer Jordan Peterson to David Goggins and his motivational videos to Brett and Kate McKay’s website, The Art of Manliness, our culture annually produces countless words of encouragement and often worthwhile advice regarding the formation of men.

In seeking out some insights on this male metamorphosis, however, I decided to look closer to home for my maharishi of manhood, someone who hadn’t profited by a bestseller or attracted millions of online followers, someone familiar to me whose adult sons were living proof that their parents, particularly their father, had done something right and well.