When it comes to life lessons I want my son to learn, there are plenty. I want him to be successful and happy and I want him to learn from my mistakes, trials, and tribulations. I can’t list all the life lessons in one post, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to just five that will emcompass so much of what I want to say. Maybe someday he’ll read this and say “check, check…” and have learned them all, and maybe he’ll say “doh!” and have been through them all himself and learned the lessons on his own. Either way, I’ll be proud if he learns even one from me and excited if he learns them all. Teaching them; however, is the challenge that all boy moms face and if we all work together, we can raise our sons to be the men we want them to be.

5 Life Lessons I Want My Son to Learn

1. Listen to your mother, father, grandparents, aunts and uncles – Basically, listen to your elders. They’ve been through what you are going through and they know what it’s like to be a young child trying to learn the rules of the world. To my son, your family has been through a lot and there is some strong wisdom in your past. Your mom and dad have tried all the lessons on their own and learned the hard way. Your Papa and Granny have lived rocky lives and have come out on top with some great successes in family values and how to be happy. Listen to them when they talk about their lives and when they give you advice. Your aunts, uncles, and great aunts and uncles have a wealth of knowledge in life and being happy. Listen to their stories and learn from them.
2. Save your money for something good – Having money and making money can be fun and there are lots of fun things to do with money, but saving a little along the way is one of those life lessons that can’t be overlooked. Save for a new car, a house, retirement, whatever, but just save some. Life will throw you a few curve balls along the way and sometimes you need to spend on car repairs, house repairs, or you need it for unemployment, but even when there’s not much coming in, still save some back for those rainy days. To my son, your dad and I are not your best examples of this so go ahead and follow your Papa’s lead on this one. He has saved (and wisely spent) his money all his life and he always has what he needs and wants.
3. Follow God’s lead – Go to church, listen while you’re there, pray often, and follow God’s will for your life. It may not be easy to know what exactly that means, but you’ll learn to listen to what God is telling you when you’re praying and it will get easier. To my boy, you dad and I dedicated you to the church when you were two years old. That means that the elders and church members are watching out for you. If you ever need to talk and you just don’t want to talk to us, there’s a whole other group of people there ready to help you.
4. Get your education and use it – Stay in school as long as you possibly can. Get as much education as you want and then get a little more. Once you have your education, use it in your career or go back to school and get more education. To my son, you dad and I will support your education as long as we possibly can because we both know what it’s like to not have the full education that we needed and once we have the education, not be able to use it in our careers. You can choose whatever career(s) you want and we’ll support you to the best of our ability. Just get the education you need and then use it.
5. Have fun – In everything you do, just have fun. Whether you are studying or working or relaxing or worrying, remember to make it fun and laugh a lot. To my son, your dad and I are probably your best examples of this because we both strive to make your every day fun while also taking care of business. We may not have the cleanest house or the most money or the most prestigious jobs, but we have a fun family and a fun life and we laugh every day. We love you and we want you to be happy. Follow our lead on this and all that other stuff will fall into place as well.

Okay, so it’s not exhaustive and it’s a super short version of a really long list of life lessons I want my son to learn, but it’s from the heart and each one has a special meaning.

What life lessons would you want your son to learn and why?