The weight he must learn to carry

Indeed, raising daughters is a sacred and significant duty, for they carry the light of morality, values, and culture into future generations. But alongside this, the upbringing of sons is equally important perhaps even more critical in certain aspects. When a daughter becomes part of a family, she brings love, loyalty, sacrifice, and empathy. But when a son steps onto the threshold of awareness, he shoulders the weight of an entire family. If he is not taught to recognize and carry that responsibility, he remains a man only in body not in character.

Wise and visionary parents begin shaping the character of their sons as soon as they show the first signs of maturity. When a boy reaches middle or high school age, parents must start giving him glimpses of responsibility like taking his sister to school, helping younger siblings with homework, buying groceries, paying utility bills, or assisting in family budgeting. The purpose isn’t merely to assign tasks, but to awaken within him a deep sense of duty, love, and belonging.

A son raised this way matures before his time not just physically but emotionally and morally. He begins to feel that he shares the responsibility of ensuring the comfort and happiness of his entire household, just as much as his mother or father. He learns that he is not born solely to inherit wealth, but to contribute to the well-being of the very family from which he inherits. He must understand that his existence is not only for himself, but for his whole family.

This training must also make him realize that he should not live only for himself. He must not believe that his responsibilities are limited to his wife and children. Sons who are raised with such selfish thinking end up disrupting the fabric of society. They spend lavishly on a single request from their wife, yet hesitate to pay for their aging mother’s medication. They become completely unaware of their parents’ needs emotionally, physically, and financially. Such behavior is a product of flawed upbringing.

On the contrary, a son who is trained from childhood to bear responsibilities, to serve, to love, and to sacrifice becomes an asset to his family and society. He becomes a source of pride for his parents, a support for his wife, and a role model for his children. He turns his home into a haven not a battlefield.

We must remember that sons are not earning machines. They also have hearts. And if those hearts are filled with compassion and responsibility, they will know how to honor every relationship. But this can only happen if their upbringing goes beyond academics and careers if it includes character-building, emotional nurturing, and moral guidance.

Unfortunately, in our society, sons are often raised with the idea that being a man means doing whatever they want without accountability. As a result, they begin to see themselves as superior in every relationship even to their parents. They give priority only to their wives, limiting their world to their own needs and comforts. Such sons, even if they become parents, cannot pass on the legacy of empathy and values to their children. For this reason, it is far better to remain childless or to have daughters than to raise sons who are ungrateful, selfish, and unkind.

The upbringing of such sons not only causes lifelong pain to the parents but also spreads poison in society. They view every relationship through the lens of self-interest. They are incapable of recognizing others’ sacrifices or pain. They become greedy, self-centered, and emotionally numb people who only know how to take, never to give.

If we truly want to raise a generation that is compassionate, respectful, and responsible, we must change our approach to parenting. We must train our sons from an early age to take responsibility. We must include them in family discussions and teach them the importance of elders, the love of siblings, and the value of togetherness not just in words, but through daily practice.

Sons should go to the mosque with their fathers not just for worship but to spend quality time and learn life’s routines. They should go to the market with their mothers to understand daily responsibilities. They should help their sisters with school projects to realize that their success is a shared success.

This kind of upbringing strengthens not just families, but entire communities. A son raised this way becomes his mother’s protector, his father’s right hand, his sister’s shelter, and his wife’s support. He becomes not just a breadwinner, but a man of substance.

Let us make a promise todaynot only to raise good daughters but also to raise responsible, loving, and empathetic sons. Let us raise them not just for tomorrow’s income but for today’s character. Let us instill in them the light of morality, the softness of heart, and the greatness of relationships.

So that one day, when a mother looks at her son, she may proudly say:
“I did not just raise a son I raised a human being with a heart full of empathy.”