• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Deep Roots at Home

  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Babies & Pregnancy
    • Beauty
    • Books & Booklists
    • Brain & Gut Health
    • Children At Home
    • COVID-19
    • Detoxing & TRS
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Education & Homeschool
    • Faith & Family
    • Feel-Good Stories
    • Flourishing Marriage
    • Flourishing Womanhood
    • Food & Recipes
    • Food Additives
    • Garden & Homestead
    • Healthy Living
    • Herbs & Remedies
    • Holidays
    • Homemaking
    • My Favorite Products
    • News & Alerts
    • Parental Rights
    • Pharma & Vaccines
    • Play, Toys, & Movies
    • Raising Daughters
    • Raising Sons
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Popular Blog Topics
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Babies & Pregnancy
  • Beauty
  • Books & Booklists
  • Brain & Gut Health
  • Children at Home
  • COVID-19
  • Detoxing & TRS
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Education & Homeschool
  • Faith & Family
  • Feel-Good Stories
  • Flourishing Marriage
  • Flourishing Womanhood
  • Food & Recipes
  • Food Additives
  • Garden & Homestead
  • Healthy Living
  • Herbs & Remedies
  • Holidays
  • Homemaking
  • My Favorite Products
  • News And Alerts
  • Parenting / Parental Rights
  • Pharmaceutical Warnings
  • Play / Toys
  • Raising Daughters
  • Raising Sons
  • Popular This Week
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren’t Afraid To Cook

    63.9KViews Modified: Jan 11, 2021 · Published: Sep 28, 2012
    By Jacqueline 12 Comments

    Share15.9K
    Telegram
    Pin117
    16.0K Shares

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. A 9 year old making a cake.

    How do we mothers balance the masculine, tougher side of our boys and yet encourage them to grow into the well-rounded men God designed them to be? There is no one way I know, but a multiplicity of ways (or enrichments, if you will) that work together to accomplish this happy blending of manliness and kindness, steel and velvet.

    And a caveat: I am not talking about the wide range of God-given physical features or strength here. A man doesn’t need to be ruggedly built or look a certain way to be a wise, capable leader. And if there is a disability, the work becomes that of developing the mind and the inner spirit of the man. Hard work doesn’t always have to be physical.

     

    If Christ cooked for His Bride, the Church (John 21), then certainly we want to raise young men who can cook for their brides, too!

    painting toe nails

    J. Crew company president and creative director Jenna Lyons painting the toenails of her son Beckett.

     

    Raising masculine boys is very difficult in a culture that’s actively seeking to blur the lines between genders.

    My friend Ingrid is the home-school mom of four boys. I have asked her to share some of her thoughts and photos as they incorporate these enrichments into their home life.

    ~~~~~~~

    What skills do you first think of teaching as you raise your sons? Leadership? Money Management? Fixing the car? Home repair and maintenance? All of these are important, but may I suggest adding cooking and baking to the list?

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. 3 brothers making apple pie in kitchen

    Whether roughing it on a camping expedition, blessing their pregnant wife, feeding their own children, or taking a day of the week to cook, (Saturday Pizza night in our home!), these skills will give our boys confidence throughout life… whenever they are in need of food!

    Jackie’s Note: here is a printable list of 30 ways to help your boys!
     

    Let your sons join you whenever they desire to, no matter how young they are. This gives them a chance to develop the joy of cooking.

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. helping Mom cook

    At first, let them bring you what you need, pour the already measured ingredients into the bowl, and stir. Show them by example how to measure liquids and dry ingredients. In time, they will begin to measure it themselves.

    Don’t forget to add math concepts as you work, for example, asking them how much is needed to double, or triple the recipe.

    Always remember to thank them. Be specific in how they helped, such as the importance of contributing to the family needs, specifically how they helped you get dinner (or dessert) ready, and how useful that is to you.

     

    Let them also know how much fun you had spending time with them!

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. crumble topping

    Before you know it, they will be reading the cookbook and making it themselves or as a team of siblings.

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. 7 year old boy cooking

    I found my 7 year old one morning making the pancakes himself… he was even doubling the recipe!

     

    Look at their pride in a job well done. My youngest whipped up the batter; the second youngest made the pancakes!

    helpers in kitchen

    Last, but not least: teach them to clean up when they are done! Be specific, patient, and cheerful as you model just how this is done in a hygienic and thorough way. It will reap dividends for you in years to come!

     helpers in kitchen

    ~~~~~~~

     

    Raising Masculine Boys To Be Men

    Does the concept of raising boys to be masculine and allowing them to cook with you and learn independence in the kitchen sound like a paradox to you? Actually it is not!

    1.) It will build self-confidence in a boy. He will become a man who can help bless his wife (and model to his sons) how to function as a team in the kitchen and have fun cooking together as a family. Mealtime spent together in the kitchen also encourages interaction and communication between parents and children. The entire family benefits from healthier meals, a sense of shared accomplishment, and the enjoyment of each other’s company.

    2.) Encourage your sons to use their imagination in the kitchen. This gives them the chance to experiment and improve their problem solving skills. Someone who has learned to be capable in solving problems will become a man who does not feel threatened with failure later in life. He will be more at ease in tense situations and have better self-control skills.

    3.) He will grow up to be a man who potentially can enjoy and understand a healthier lifestyle of eating (if learned while young). Who knows, you may even have a wonderful chef in the making!

    4.) He will become a husband who can really help in a time of family or his wife’s illness. Recently a young (very masculine) father in our church put this into practice waiting for their third child. He lovingly and capably did dishes and ran the kitchen and didn’t feel super stressed during the month she was off her feet. He was the leader/servant loving his wife like Christ loved the church.

    “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” ~Ephesians 5: 25

    Jackie’s Note: here is a printable list of 30 ways to help your boys!

     

    That doesn’t make a man less than masculine; it makes him more Christ-like! The resulting outcome can be a ‘man of Steel and of Velvet’.

    Dear mothers, you will save yourself much time and energy in the long run if you teach not only cooking skills, but also character early to your boys (and girls, of course). “Pay now or pay later.” I can’t think of a better gift to give to your future daughters-in-love someday!

     “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  ~Deuteronomy 6: 6-8

    ~~~~~~~

    the author Ingrid

    My name is Ingrid. I am first and foremost a daughter of the King, adopted into the family of God through Christ’s grace. Secondly, I am a wife to a wonderful, steady man, and a great father.  I am also known as a mother of boys. We live and home-school on acreage which allows for many adventures and work opportunities for the boys.  We currently have two llamas, two sheep, four cats, a guinea, and multitudes of chickens for farm fresh eggs.  As I look at my role as a mother, I like to think of what I once saw in a letter from www.aboverubies.org:  “I am an Arrow Polisher, a Nation Builder, and a Director of Home Affairs”.  These are fitting titles as I raise my boys to be arrows sent out for the Lord!

    Raising Masculine Boys That Know How & Aren't Afraid To Cook. My son cooling the soup

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email
    Share15.9K
    Telegram
    Pin117
    16.0K Shares
    « Around The House With Class: A Portrait Of Feminine Dress
    Best Ever Homemade Chocolate Bonbons: Good For You »

    Related

    Hi! I’m Jacqueline!

    Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
    Welcome to my own little place on the internet! Home is where I love to be. I feel there is no greater place to incubate souls. These days you’ll find me using my experiences here to write about herbal remedies and natural health research — a big passion of mine. But being a wife and mother is not easy. It is challenging and potentially lonely. I get that. I wanted to create a place to connect with and support other moms for creating a natural, healthy, and fulfilling home life.
    Join the newsletter:

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jedidja

      September 29, 2012 at 5:21 am

      Love this! Thank you!

      Reply
    2. jem

      September 29, 2012 at 8:23 am

      Love that post! I hope it’s ok that I pinned it to my “For the Boys” page
      http://pinterest.com/mennonitemom/for-the-boys/

      Blessings,

      Reply
    3. Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

      September 29, 2012 at 9:36 pm

      Wonderful. My boys are making sugar free marshmallows with me right now. It’s too late, but it is fun :-).

      Reply
    4. Melissa

      September 30, 2012 at 12:04 am

      wonderful series, wonderful post!
      Another reason boys should learn to cook… they may not marry, or they may not marry until several years into adulthood. Being able to feed himself is an important life skill that all boys should be given the opportunity to learn. We also give our son cooking jobs that he finds really fun, like bar b queing over charcoal briquettes alongside his dad, and even cooking over the fire pit as well as in the kitchen tasks.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        September 30, 2012 at 8:32 pm

        Yes, I forgot to mention the grill and fire pit! My husband and sons do great work on the grill especially!

        Reply
    5. Danielle @ More Than Four Walls

      September 30, 2012 at 5:55 am

      Thank you for this post! I catch some flack (mostly jokingly) about letting our little guy help me cook….(I even made him an apron, it was my first ever sewing machine project!).

      Anyway, I see it as you do. I can teach him valuable skills now that will foster a love of learning and allow him to bless others.

      There is nothing unmanly about a man who can make dinner and clean it up, same as there is nothing unmanly about a man who can shed a tear.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        September 30, 2012 at 8:30 pm

        Yes!! Tears are very manly to me, and they are something that draws me to my husband. We have a huge, strapping Marine (he just returned from Afghanistan) in our church body who is way more sentimental than his wife; he is a magnet for the young men in the congregation. They love that he will teach them about firearms and self defense, etc., but love on their newly adopted son with great joy!

        I love that you made him an apron…he will understand the heart of a woman and his wife someday.

        Reply
    6. Deanna

      July 02, 2013 at 11:17 am

      I absolutely agree! Our son is five and I’ve had him helping me in the kitchen since he was about two. He has severe allergies, so teaching him to bake and cook are as much about being able to provide for himself when he’s older as it is about having those basic of skills to help with his family later in life. My husband can’t cook that well and there have been many times I wished he could handle a meal or two on his own. So I see instilling this skill in our son as a gift to his wife to be one day!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        July 02, 2013 at 1:59 pm

        Amen 🙂 Yay! for handy, helpful, cooking sons!

        Reply
    7. [email protected]

      July 10, 2013 at 9:46 pm

      LOVELY post! I am so tired of attitudes & articles that equate masculine with irresponsible. You know, the person who says “Boys will be boys” and must be allowed (or even encouraged) to misbehave or they won’t grow up “masculine.”

      This article was such a refreshing contrast!

      If Christ cooked for His Bride, the Church (John 21), then certainly we want to raise young men who can cook for their brides, too!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        July 10, 2013 at 9:54 pm

        OOhhh, Anna,
        That is a verse I overlooked! I love that and must add the text to the end of the post! Thank YOU, dear sister for bringing that to my attention! You have blessed my day! I hope to ‘see’ you again. I will come and visit you, too 🙂

        Reply
    8. Annette Wolf

      September 13, 2013 at 5:42 am

      Love this post and the comments/responses.
      Annette

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Footer

    About Deep Roots at Home

    What is Deep Roots at Home?
    Jacqueline’s Story
    Article Archives
    Contact
    Stay Updated

    Weekly updates on the topics that matter the most to you!

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Popular Posts This Week
    • Confusing ‘Acting’ Respectfully With ‘Respecting’ – What?
    • Joe Tippins’s Fenbendazole Protocol For Cancer
    • The Largest Family In the World: Be Inspired, Amazed by the Mully Movie
    • Crock Pot Liners and Instant Pots That Test Safe For Lead

    Affiliate Disclosure  •  Medical Disclosure  •  Privacy Policy  •  Cookie Policy

    The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy. Content may not be reproduced in any form. Website by Imperative Co.



    © 2006–2023 Deep Roots at Home • All Rights Reserved

    Many people don’t see me on the Deep Roots at Home Facebook page these days due to censorship.

    Come straight to Deeprootsathome.com instead and find out what you’re missing!

    You can even make DRAH your browser homepage.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy, Homemade Remedies to Beat Coughs & Colds” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy + Healthy Lifestyle Drinks” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup — with Easy Recipes!” printable PDF.

    Subscribe to Email Updates

    By adding your email address below, you agree to receive email updates from Deep Roots at Home. You’ll get 2-6 emails per month with info that we can’t share on social media and important updates. We may send occasional marketing / sales emails.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Treasured Old Books” printable guide.

    Get the printable ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Dyslexia Tips” ebook from Sarah J. Brown.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Starving Brains & Poor Attention Spans in Boys: 30 Tips for Parents” printable PDF.

    Get your free ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Vital Vaccine Info” printable e-book.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds” printable guide.

    Get the freebie of the season!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “100 Wholehearted Books to Take Back the Culture” printable guide.

    Praying for newlyweds is perhaps the best gift we can give them! Receive this printable PDF: “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds.” 

    Prayers for Husbands

    View our privacy policy.

    The PDF will arrive in your inbox! You’ll also get about 1-2 emails a month (including the seasonal freebies!) and can unsubscribe at any time.

    ¡Nos gustaría mantener en contacto! Y usted recibirá un obsequio importante de la temporada: “Cerebros Ambrientes y Escasa Atención En Los Niños” PDF imprimible.

    Spanish Boys Attention Spans

    Ver nuestra política de privacidad.


    ¡El PDF llegará a su buzón de entrada! ¡Usted recibirá 1 – 2 correos electrónicos al mes (incluyendo los regalos de temporada!) y puede cancelar su suscripción en cualquier momento.