Once boys begin a growth spurt before they hit puberty, they seem to change so rapidly that parents can hardly keep up. They learn new behaviors in a variety of ways, including the six listed here.

Sports Teams and Coaches

A coach can have a powerful influence on a boy’s character, in some cases more so than his parents or teachers. A coach can demonstrate the value of having focus, delayed gratification and intense effort even when it’s difficult or challenging. They engrain discipline into teens while providing support. At game time, boys can see the positive outcome of following his coach’s instructions when they play well. Even if they don’t win, they are learning the value of good sportsmanship and working with teammates.

Academic Learning and the Responsibility of Homework

Homework provides an opportunity for children to learn self-discipline, organizational skills, becoming responsible and how to take the initiative to learn on their own. Students who hope to attend university also need to focus on their grades and pass their SAT exams, learning how to balance academics with family, extracurricular activities, their social lives and even jobs.

The Need to Stay Organized

Organization is an acquired skill, and it takes time to engrain those habits into boys. They can learn how to use a planner or possibly a smartphone app and reap the benefits and importance of remaining organized in all areas of their lives, not just with schoolwork. Mastering the skills of getting organized, staying focused, and seeing work through to the end helps teenage boys in almost every area of life.

Sticking to a Schedule

Many things in a child’s life are done on a routine schedule, such as school, extracurricular activities and sports. All of these result in boys learning planning and daily functioning. A predictable schedule offers structure that helps kids feel safe and secure. This helps prepare them for the real world. If they go on to college or university, they will need to pay attention to a schedule. Once they find gainful employment, they will need to stick a routine as well.

Participating in Arts and Music

Young people devote a large amount of time and money to listening to music. Music can bring up positive and negative emotions as well as provide a social connection with others. Teens often connect as a result of sharing similar taste in music, TV shows and other forms of the arts.

Engaging in New Social Skills

Social skills are caught more than taught, usually via interactions with other teens. Parents and teachers offer guidance but can only do so much to influence a teenager’s social development. Up until now, a lack of social skills might cost them friendships if they treat their peers badly. They will encounter situations when they have to learn how to interact with and behave around others even when they don’t agree. Developing the ability to understand another person’s perspective helps prepare them for being a productive member of society.

As a parent, you can look at the areas where your son is struggling and provide additional opportunities for him to use those specific skills.