Whats cool about being a man

[dadpad]

A friend of mine works with severely traumatised kids. She poses the following question;

I have a little fella who is unhappy about being a boy.

Part of this is because his experience of how men behave has been awful. He therefore thinks men are awful, and that being a grown up man must suck.


Not being a guy and all, I was wondering if the men could give me some cool stuff about being a male that I haven't thought of...not the "one mood all the time" stuff, or "you get to **** women"...he's a little kid...but some true stuff that I can share with him. Light hearted is great as well as serious.


Stuff about being a dad would be great, too.

I think he'd get a kick out of a kind of "my male panel that I consulted say........".

[silentC]

Well, a bloke can pee anywhere, he doesn't need to find a loo. He can take off his shirt on a hot day and nobody cares. A bloke can fart in public too.

Man, that is weird. I'm sitting here writing this and David Bowie's "Boys keep swinging" came on. Here are the lyrics:

---
Heaven loves ya
The clouds part for ya
Nothing stands in your way
When you're a boy

Clothes always fit ya
Life is a pop of the cherry
When you're a boy

When you're a boy
You can wear a uniform
When you're a boy
Other boys check you out
You get a girl
These are your favourite things
When you're a boy

Boys
Boys
Boys keep swinging
Boys always work it out

Uncage the colours
Unfurl the flag
Luck just kissed you hello
When you're a boy

They'll never clone ya
You're always first on the line
When you're a boy

When you're a boy
You can buy a home of your own
When you're a boy
Learn to drive and everything
You'll get your share
When you're a boy

Boys
Boys
Boys keep swinging
Boys always work it out
---

But I reckon the best thing about being a bloke is that you get to be a Dad. Mums are cool, kids love their Mums because they're kind and soft and look after them and stuff. But Dads fly kites and take them fishing and wrestle with them on the lounge room floor and watch The Simpsons and laugh when they fart and chase them around and fix their bike when it breaks and ....

[pawnhead]

Slugs and snails and puppy dogs' tails are much cooler than sugar and spice and all things nice. :cool:

[wheelinround]

Best thing about being a dad is making the rules ( thats if its ok with mum LOL)

My dad used to cop the belt when younger

when he became a dad that was rule No1 No belts used for punishment, talk it over explain offer suggestions & other things like stopping activities.

[arose62]

Men are stronger, and get to help other people.

That's why there are FireMEN and PoliceMEN not FireLadies and PoliceLadies.

(OK, the OP asked for responses aimed at young kid level)

Cheers,
Andrew

[TEEJAY]

Man was born to hunt and kill :D

I think that says it all

[wheelinround]

true we all missed that I guess

Hows this then

not being a boy meaning being a girl means you'd have to have your hair in plats, pony tails, wear hair things, play with girl stuff.

Now a lot of this has changed on what a boy does to what a girl does as they grow up

But somethings stay the same Boys get more freedom to explore, climb, play with dogs , ride bikes play boy sports.


I guess the poor fellow has seen something drastic from the male figure.
What was it he saw he hated/hates and has turned him this way???
I am not after a answer just wondering.

[dadpad]

He's about 7 no other info available. Keep posting Blokes

Stuff about how great it is to be a DAD, though, would be very helpful.

Here are some answers from various other people.

you can write your name in the snow....

You can move heavy things.

I like when my kids ask me for answers (why did they build the great wall of china?) or to solve problems or my opinion. I also like being able to see the pitfalls and guide my children around them.

Hugs are good too. Dads get free hugs just because.

Right now I'm working on an interior design project for a man. He had a crappy childhood. But, because he could focus his talents, when he grew up he made a lot of money in real estate development. Then he took his money and opened a chain of martial arts facilities as non-profit organizations. Everyone is welcome, but he puts special emphasis on children, and if they can't afford the fees, he lets them join for free. The martial arts let the children learn confidence and gives them skills to deal with bullies. Now he's concentrating in setting up an international standards alliance to make sure all the instructors have the proper skills to deal with children.

I posed your question to my resident authority on boyhood. In the world according to .... boys are better than girls because:
Girls don't like to get dirty or wrestle.
Girls like to play with Barbies.
Boys are better bike riders.
Boys can wear their hair really short and never have to brush it.
Boys are stronger and they can run faster.
Boys are funnier.
Boys are better wall-ball players.
Boys aren't afraid of skeletons and zombies.
All of the ghostbusters are boys.
Boys get to drive forklifts.

I don't so much want to get into the "boys are better than" stuff.

[wheelinround]

Hey DP sorry but these days there are many things boys & girls are doing the same :doh:

not going down that road

One main thing a boy / man can't do is give birth but without a man neither can a woman oopps nope wrong again they can IVF.

I am starting to wonder what all boys must be going through

Has this boy seen the easy life of a stay at home mum compared to a hard working dad.??

who would be their roll model in males

were we had dad's who worked while mums stayed home,
dad's drove cars, racing cars, truck & buses as well as designed stuff built stuff.

Mum's are doing all of these things too including building buildings driving semi's etc.

[Ashore]

Boys don't have girl germs
Boys can play with Thomas & Cars & stuff, not barbie or dora dolls.

[prozac]

Boys get to protect others who are weak because they are strong, and they can also give cuddles and hugs when needed.

[namtrak]

The best thing about being a boy is your not a girl. :D

[namtrak]

..........Has this boy seen the easy life of a stay at home mum compared to a hard working dad...........

:oo:

[RufflyRustic]

Boys get to work with their Dads in the shed, the yard, they can get greasy and dirty and not get into as much trouble as girls do because the boy has done a boy thing, getting ready for manhood.

Generally Speaking:
Boys take to mechanics easier and more quickly than girls

Boys can start the lawnmowers after 2-3 pulls of the starter cord, girls can't (well I couldn't)

Boys can change a tyre in 10 seconds flat compared to a girl


Boys just have to open a door, or seat a lady at a table, change a flat tyre, remember a girl's special day eg pick them a flower from the garden and the girl will cook em dinner (I did say generally speaking)

Boys can get into fights and not get into as much trouble as if girls do (totally unqualifed but...) just remind him to lose if there are girls watching cause then he'll win the girl hands down.

Some may be a bit old for him, but it might spark come other ideas.

Cheers
Wendy

[wheelinround]

Meccarnno sets, train sets, scalectrix, remote control car airplanes boats

Boys get more responsibility

boys get to join cubs, scouts, Boys Brigade, Sea scouts, Air & Army Cadets
go camping
build billy carts
climb trees
mountains
ladders

[dadpad]

Thanks all for your contributions

[Wood Borer]

Is he a local?

Perhaps we could do something for him by showing him by example - 4WDing, BBQ etc. I'd be happy to help the young chap.

In case his mother is concerned I have had the police check for working with kids.

[munruben]

The best thing about being a boy is having girl friends.

[Dan]

In case his mother is concerned I have had the police check for working with kids.

Is it just me who thinks it's a bit ironic that an offer to help a young bloke change his view about being a bloke, would be met with suspicion because it's a bloke that's making the offer?:(

[dadpad]

Is he a local?

Perhaps we could do something for him by showing him by example - 4WDing, BBQ etc. I'd be happy to help the young chap.

In case his mother is concerned I have had the police check for working with kids.

Not local. I get the feeling this kid needs more than one or two BBQs and a 4wd trip.
Thanks for the offer anyway

I've suggested the "mens shed" organisation in his local area.


Is it just me who thinks it's a bit ironic that an offer to help a young bloke change his view about being a bloke, would be met with suspicion because it's a bloke that's making the offer?:(

I think its just you. Its your world view and you are entitled to it.
That an offer such as this is made by a male is of no account. The same rules would apply if it the offer was made by a woman.
My 65 year old mother had to undergo a police check to continue delivering meals on wheels on a voluntary basis, a job shes been doing for 10 years already.
She wasn't too happy about that.

[dadpad]

The best thing about being a boy is having girl friends.

At 7 years old thats not a high priority. But thanks all the same.

[Iain]

Boys get more responsibility

boys get to join cubs, scouts, Boys Brigade, Sea scouts, Air & Army Cadets
go camping
build billy carts
climb trees
mountains
ladders

Girlchild has done all of that, also a Patrol Leader in Scouts, just completed a 45km 3 day hike at Wilsons Prom in the foulest of weather with a pack that weighed more than she did, rides unbroken horses, abseils, fixes her quad bike when it stops, rock climbs and plays brass in the school senior band.
What will she be like when she turns 14:oo:

One for Rob, WWC check, did you pass:D, I got one of those too for Scouts, my wallet is bulging with all these crap cards that to me mean nothing.

[echnidna]

getting him into cub scouts might be very good for him

[pawnhead]

Is it just me who thinks it's a bit ironic that an offer to help a young bloke change his view about being a bloke, would be met with suspicion because it's a bloke that's making the offer?:(No it's not just you.

Of course the law doesn't discriminate, but statistics don't lie. It's probably where the boy got the ideas in the first place about men behaving 'awful'.

Men are stronger and generally more dominating, and there's many more cases of men abusing their wives than vice versa. Men are more likely to be violent alcoholics, rapists, pedophiles, criminals and murderers.
And men start wars. Partly because they're more likely to gain a position of power, but possibly also because of a primitive hunter, gatherer, provider mentality that gives rise to a fiercer sense of competition amongst males. Especially for available females.

I know it doesn't help the cause of this thread much, but it's a fact of life that there are more rotten men out there than rotten women. The worst tyrants in history were all men.
But it’s mainly a few rotten eggs. The vast majority of men are decent caring people who are trying to build a better world. They'll protect, comfort, nurture and provide for their loved ones,,,

and they'd selflessly lay down their lives to defend them against attack.



In no particular order, and by no means comprehensive, but here’s just a few great men who've made the world a better place:

Hammurabi
Homer
William Shakespeare
Johann Sebastian Bach
Mahatma Gandhi
Nelson Mandela
Euclid
Pythagoras
Socrates
Confucius
Plato
Aristotle
Karl Marx
Martin Luther King, Jr
Leonardo da Vinci
Galileo Galilei
Isaac Newton
James Watt
Charles Darwin
Louis Pasteur
Sigmund Freud
Thomas Alva Edison
Nicola Tesla
Alfred Nobel
Alexander Graham Bell
Samuel Morse
Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright
Guglielmo Marconi
Marco Polo
Christopher Columbus
Ferdinand Magellan
James Cook
Roald Amundsen
Yuri Gagarin
Neil Armstrong
Robert Falcon Scott
Winston Churchill
Mervyn Victor Richardson (I had to throw an Aussie in, and where would we be without our 'Victa' lawnmowers) :wink:

And it was a great, and humble humanitarian who said this:

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Albert Einstein

Hopefully, with the right guidance, this boy will look forward to becoming a good man of worth.

[Iain]

Mahatma Gandhi

Alexander Graham Bell

Mervyn Victor Richardson .

If it wasn't for these three I wouldn't have to put up with telemarketers and mow the lawns on Sunday:rolleyes:

[pawnhead]

So you'd prefer to use one of these (http://eroundlake.com/blog/uploaded_images/TinCanPhone-726651.jpg) and one of these (http://bikehugger.com/photostream/culture/lawn_mower-photo.jpg)? Good luck to you. :U

I'll add another Aussie to the list:

Teddy Sheehan (http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/TheDeathofHMASArmidale.html).
He should have got the VC.
I'm sure there's lots of other Aussies to mention, but I've read a bit about the Armidale, and there's a rivetting account from a survivor here (http://www.gunplot.net/sheeanarmidale/armidalesurvivor.htm).

[Make it work]

I get to drive if I want to, if I am too tired then I ask my wife to drive. Either way it's my choice.

Ah yeah, we have 2 cars, the one she drives is a Honda. The one I drive is a PORSCHE. Its so cool...

OK, that was a bit of a brag but kids love that.

[Wood Borer]

One for Rob, WWC check, did you pass:D, I got one of those too for Scouts, my wallet is bulging with all these crap cards that to me mean nothing.

I passed Iain.:2tsup:

I too have mixed feelings over getting Police Checks. I have no evil intentions other than to give kids opportunities of learning and experiencing things they normally wouldn't.

I am sure there are terrible people out there who have committed crimes against kids and other age groups but have no police record. They would probably get the thumbs up and possibly weave their evil whilst being in a "proven above board capacity".

I am a bit of a rebel when it comes to red tape soppy authority but on this topic I decided to comply otherwise it would have been the kids who would have missed out.

In the small community where we live, only a complete fool would apply for such a check if they had anything shady in their past. Merely the fact that someone applies almost qualifies them for the certificate or a spell in a nut house.

Let's know if there is anything I can do to help out this kid Dadpad.

[Iain]

I regard them as a joke, it serves to tell the community that I am either not a pedophile or I have yet to be caught:oo:
We are starting to get like India with bloody little bits of paper (or plastic cards in this instance) for everything.
Even to get a job as what used to be a clerk you know need a degree in business studies.
And how about a cert 4 in retail, are you being served ma'am?

[Matt88s]

You can move 7 1/2 tons of tile by hand, 50lb box by 50lb box, by yourself in an afternoon. :2tsup:

Then set back and survey your work

and think

gad I'm going to be sore tomorrow. :C

But its all good, cause you're a man, and being sore after an honest days work is one of the privileges that comes with the territory. :)

[patty]

Men are better than women at sports now this statement is going to P off some females my missus especially but have a look at all sports look at the 100 mtrs sprint men are faster than women look at swimming it is the same thing look at shot putt same deal I can not hink of any sport I know of that a women holds a record over the opposite sex can anyone!

[Zed]

Bad experiences in your own youth can be used as "what not to do" examples.

[robyn2839]

men dont get PMT, and they dont get the covers pulled over their head ????????bob

[dennford]

I don't think that telling him any of this is going to change things. What he really needs is to be subjected to the influence of a real man, someone who does blokey stuff yet someone who loves and cares. It may be something that hasn't been thought about but I do believe it would be best if the real man is part of a real family - a wife who gives and takes as a normal part of life.

Now from reading all the above those, or at least some of those qualifications could belong to most of the contributors, otherwise why reply to the question.

The problem of course is that you have to find such a person that is willing to give a great deal of time and effort into being a part of this boys life. The boy must feel that this is a permanent relationship rather than just something to get him as far as the next step in life. In short it is a responsibility that is to last untill the end - your life or his (pardon the bluntness of that last statement).

Denn

[abitfishy]

I didn't read every post here, but tell him that if he was a girl he would have to wear a dress and a pink one at that!