Third Manhood Breakfast: Learning about Girls

The Manhood Breakfast series for Lower School continued November 11 with Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Cummings and his wife, Mrs. Sarah Cummings, discussing the mysterious topic on every boy’s mind – girls.
Mrs. Cummings – co-director and coach at Manna Health and Wellness – began the discussion by providing the three pillars of how to treat a girl: respectfully, confidently, and caringly. The pillars are important qualities for everyone, she said, “but even more important as you grow into young men.”

  • Show respect by listening to what girls have to say and taking an interest in their activities.
  • Reveal your confidence by making a girl feel comfortable in your presence. It’s important to lead with vulnerability and allow space for rejection.
  • Caring starts with how you treat other people. Girls notice a young boy’s attitude toward his mother and other women in his life.
Mr. Cummings offered several tips for interacting with girls and women.
  • Be yourself.
  • When you make a mistake, apologize. It shows that you care.
  • Be mindful about what you say in the digital world where you cannot see the emotion that a comment evokes in recipients. “Are you blessing them with what you say, or are you wounding them? There’s no free pass because you are on social media.”
  • Be aware of who is teaching you about girls and make wise choices. Much of the messaging you see in the media and social media is not respectful of women.
  • If you date, don’t isolate. Make sure friends and family know your girlfriend. Don’t get solely focused on one person.
  • Remember that all girls are someone’s daughter, someone’s sister. Treat them accordingly.

Mr. Cummings ended by telling the boys something he wished he had known at their age: “The best way to learn how to interact with girls is to learn how to be friends with one another first.” 

Mrs. Cummings concluded, “All of you are in a unique place of influence. It’s up to you to wield that power in a positive direction.”
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