Wamunyota wrote:“The first two years of childhood are very important and if a boy is exposed to feminine behaviour, where they tag along with the mother or househelp everywhere, the boys are likely to exhibit feminine behaviour,” he said.
Traditionally, the woman’s place was the kitchen; girls were supposed to tag along with their mothers to the kitchen as the boys accompanied their fathers to the fields.
While girls are still taught how to cook and clean and take up other feminine duties, boys rarely have mentors to show them how to be a man. In fact, according to Mr Ndegwa, the urban setup no longer provides a platform for boys to transition to manhood.
“The boys no longer have role models. They have nobody to look up to. Life is about skills. They cannot be taught in a classroom, but in day to day activities. No matter how much you study a car, you cannot drive unless you are taught to drive,” said Mr Mbuthia.
Wanaume kwisha This is over the top bullshit, I don't think any gal accompanies their moms to the kitchen anymore. Kitchen chores are shared by both male and female kids where applicable (I went through my dishes duties growing up too awhile back)
And anyway, how exactly are fathers supposed to teach their sons to transition to manhood, what was done in the past that transitioned men to manhood that cannot be done now. In the traditional set-up, life skills were two fold, outdoor skills for men and homecare for women, that's not the case anymore.
The male/female economic roles are blurred, life's too dynamic and there's too much info around for one to imprint their brand of role modelling on a child, kid yourself otherwise na utashangaa.
Today, in Nairobi, get your kids to a good school, get them an acceptable spiritual or moral upbringing (church) and finally drop them at ligi ndogo or piano lessons or whatever extra carricular activites they prefer and your pretty much done education wise. Offcourse spend social time with them without labeling them gal and boy as they need similar social skills.
There is really not much influence you can have on them other than patrolling the boundaries of their moral values and shepherding them back where they transgress.
Boys with no role models is due to single parenting and ulevi among some men. Not lack of role models.
"The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins