I often wonder what it’s like to raise girls. Do you get roughhoused, elbowed or kneed to the head several times when you play hide and seek? No? Just me?

Well, based on my experience to-date and with a third boy on the way, here’s my life lessons for my boys!

Life Lessons for Boys

Remember to share, especially with your siblings. But finish what you’re doing first and then share. Life is full of distractions, take your time and play nicely.

Love your siblings unconditionally. They will be the longest relationship you will ever have. You might as well make it a good one.

Always wash your hands before meals and after you use the bathroom.

Play outdoors and get dirty. Play with mud, sand and dirt. It’s okay if you end up eating some accidentally. It will only strengthen your immune system.

Celebrate and embrace your religion, traditions and values but keep an open mind and respect everyone else regardless of their race, religion, sex or age.

Be a gentleman and treat a girl with respect and as an equal but don’t let girls walk all over you or boss you around. Be a “MAN”

Pick your friends wisely, they will be some of your greatest influences in life. Don’t measure your “coolness” factor by how many friends you have, but how many real ones you have. You know, the ones that will stick by your side even when things get bad.

Remember your manners and always say please and thank-you. There will be times when you’re upset, just remember, violence is not the answer, use your words, even if they’re not always “nice.”

Don’t be a bully. Be gentle and kind to everyone you meet.  You never know when you will meet that person again. They might become your future employer or superior. Don’t let yourself get bullied either. Stand up for what you believe in and seek support when you need it.

Enjoy school and study hard but remember that getting straight A’s doesn’t guarantee you the perfect job, a well-paying job or any job for that matter.

Get a job that you love and makes you happy when you wake up every day. If you haven’t found it, keep searching for it. Life is too short to wake up unhappy every day.

Fall in love, get married (if you want) and love hard. But don’t settle down too young. You will change a lot in your 20s.

Go see the world while you’re still young. Better yet, meet the love of your life before or while you travel so you can explore the world together before you experience “real-life” challenges like mortgage and kids.

Always call your mother and mother-in-law. Especially on holidays and birthday and always return their phone calls.  You don’t have to like it, you just need to do it.

Listen to your parents. The majority of the time they’re right. Even if they’re wrong, the are looking out for your best interest.  You won’t know this until you have your own kids, so just trust me on this one. And remember that parents are just humans, they’re not super heroes; they can make mistakes too.

Life is short, so live in the NOW but don’t be reckless. Put your health first, especially before beauty and brains, but not always before happiness. There’s nothing wrong with eating dessert as a meal every once in a while.

Life is unfair. Don’t look to blame others or the situation. Take matters not your hands. Be in charge of your own destiny.

Bad things happen to good people. If this happens to a loved one, lend a shoulder or a listening ear. Don’t ignore the situation, you can make a difference. If bad things happen to you, don’t suffer alone. Reach out to someone, talk about it and get help.

If you want to experience new things or experiment, do it when you’re young. Just stay out of trouble and ask for help If you need it. But don’t do anything stupid that will land you in jail or make you a dad before you’re ready.

Take care of your parents when they’re older. You’ll never know how much they loved you until you have kids of your own.