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When sons become men

This is a brilliant article about the reasons for that wierd, uncomfortable time when fathers and sons are coming to terms with junior’s first forays into manhood. It focuses the reasons for that stange, unconscious  competitiveness that creeps in, sometimes even the elder’s envy of his son’s youth.

It’s a funny time when a strange, palpable silence fills the room and any meaningful conversation becomes a daily challenge. What do you talk about? It’s gone past kids stuff what grown up things do they have in common? I remember talking about football. A lot.

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2 responses to “When sons become men”

  1. Helen Taylor Avatar
    Helen Taylor

    Happy New Year Andrew.
    Thanks for pointing this out, it’s a subject that I’ve been talking about a lot with my boss who’s the father of a 16 year old boy. As he watches his son beat him more and more consistently at squash, he has to remember that this was all he ever wanted for him.
    I have a theory that women who don’t have daughters often struggle with this issue when confronted with a daughter-in-law. It would explain why some of my friends have very tense relationships with their mother-in-laws!

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  2. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    And you too. My Dad stopped playing tennis with me when he started to lose.
    As for mother in laws, I think that’s so true. I’d love to know why, I’m sure it’s an Oedipal thing.I’m lucky that the two Mrs Hovell’s seem to get along, most of the time.
    Father in laws a minefield too. They know exactly what you want to do to their little angel, since they’re men too.

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