Read 'Wild at Heart' by John Eldredge They don't like to be challenged, I think not. More like, needing us to build their confidence by saying, "You can do it." and "You have what it takes." and needs to be said by the father or a man they look up to. I'll need to explain -- there's something about guys that need to know if they have what it takes to be a man. And that needs to come from another man. The book also talks about gender assurance, and how the X and Y chromosomes are determined by the man. That's why men have a certain authority when it comes to gender assurance, on both sons and daughters. When dad says, "You have what it takes" to his son or "You are beautiful" to his daughter, it has a greater impact on gender assurance than if Mom were to say it. It's a powerful book. I highly recommend it. The opposite is true, tho -- without a father or father figure in their lives, boys feel that they don't have ...