10 Things I Want My Future Son To Know

10 Things I Want My Future Son To Know ©iStock/Freemixer

By the time we mature to the point of wanting a family, we’ve learned plenty of life lessons that we want to pass on to our own kids, to better equip them to handle the world they’ve been brought into. Because so many of my own lessons have come from dealing the opposite sex, there are some important things I want my future son to know:

  1. You don’t want to win the popularity contest. When we’re young, it seems like life is one big popularity contest and winning that contest is the key to winning at life. Later in life, we discover that the contest was all a bunch of BS that distracted us from what’s really important. The most badass influences in our world today weren’t the popular kids; they’re the ones who followed their dreams even when no one else believed in them.
  2. Your friends aren’t always right. Unless you’ve chosen some very wise friends, they’re probably going to tell you to do what’s popular. You need to know that what’s popular is not always right and what’s right is not always popular. If you see them doing something that you know isn’t right, you don’t have to agree with them or support them. I’d much rather see you stand up for what’s right.
  3. Being a player is NOT cool. When you start dating, I’m already going to have a heart attack, but it’ll be twice as bad if I find out you’re acting like a player. Your friends will try to convince you that’s cool to play the field and break nice girls’ hearts, but allow me to assure you that there’s nothing cool about being a thoughtless jerk. If you like someone for real, be kind to her and let her know how special she is.
  4. Having respect for women doesn’t make you a wuss. In fact, it makes you so much more awesome than the majority of dudes on this earth. As the first influential female in your life, I’ll make sure that you grow up knowing how to treat women with respect.
  5. True love exists and it’s worth fighting for. As a matter of fact, it’s the entire point of dating. If you’re not looking for the real thing, what are you doing? You’re just wasting time and hurting people if you’re dating without believing in love, and that’s unacceptable.
  6. Commitment is nothing to be afraid of. When you’ve lived long enough to get into dating, it makes no sense to be afraid of commitment. That’s like being excited to go to dinner, and then deciding once you’re at the restaurant that you’re good with just smelling the food because it’s too scary to actually order something off of the menu. You have to be brave enough to choose a dish you think you’d like and make a meal out of it.
  7. You should pursue your passion, even if it’s not a “real job.” As your mother and a person who’s pursued her own passion, I’m a bit of an expert on this subject. If there’s something you really love to do, you should find a way to make it a career. If you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
  8. You can believe whatever you want and I’ll love you. One of the biggest struggles I had growing up was being told what to believe, so I’ll never do that to you. You can have faith or not, and I’ll love you just as much either way. Do what makes you happy, and I’ll be here for you.
  9. True beauty is found inside. Everyone wants to be with someone who’s beautiful, but some people have a different definition of beautiful. As your mother, I’ll make sure that you learn from an early age that true beauty is found inside. People who focus on outer beauty are missing out because looks fade; someone with a beautiful soul will be beautiful forever.
  10. You’ll always be my #1 dude. At this very moment, I’m a hopeless romantic who’s dreaming of meeting your father and starting our beautiful family. When I get lucky enough to meet you after carrying you for 9 months, I’ll never ever let you go. Sometimes you’ll hate me and sometimes you’ll love me, but I’ll always be your mom and I’ll always love you.
Anna Martin Yonk is a freelance writer and blogger in sunny North Carolina. She loves hanging out with her goofy husband and two rescue dogs and can be found at the beach with a drink in hand whenever possible. You can find her on Instagram @mrsyonkdogmom or on her Facebook page.
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