Love Yourself King

Happy Tuesday #Jontourage,
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 Welcome back to the “Classy Gent Chronicles”, where staying classy is the only way to be. In this week’s edition, let's discuss a major elephant in the room.  Last week, I made a Facebook post that read...

“We need to do a better job of empowering young men the same way we empower young women regarding conversations specifically about self-worth. I hear so many young women being told to "love yourself", "know your worth", "respect your body", etc. However, I do not hear that same level of passion or frequency when it comes to boys being told respect themselves.

Young boys also suffer from self-esteem issues, body image issues, and unhealthy experiences in relationships. Some young men are being pressured to have sex and they aren't comfortable doing so. So many of the young men I work with or mentor tell me that they did not want to have sex but felt as though they had to for social acceptance.
Many of my guys in relationships truly believe their needs and feelings don't matter as long as their girlfriend is happy. Would we encourage our daughters to stay in a relationship where they're undervalued? Never! So then we can’t do so for our sons. These aren't just female issues, these are human issues.

Just giving you something to think about the next time you talk with your son, nephew, grandson, little brother, male cousin, male mentee, etc. He needs your wisdom in the area of self-love the same way the young women in your life receive it from you.”
It’s no secret that we raise our sons very differently than we raise our daughters but is that always the best thing to do?  By raising them differently, are we playing into certain gender stereotypes or are we simply acknowledging that men and women have different needs thus requiring a different type of support?

Moral of the story: My mom always says “men were meant to cry too, that’s why they have tear ducts”.  I am excited about a world where our young men can feel like valued members in their relationships and be given a space to discuss insecurities without judgment.  My question to you is, why do we treat men differently in regards to discussing self-worth with them?
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Remember, in order to live out your dreams, you have to think it, feel it, live it! Until next time, stay classy...

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