Raising (and Educating) Boys and Girls

Michael Clary and Wade Thomas of Christ the King Church in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, discuss raising and educating boys and girls in distinctly masculine and feminine ways, tied to an upcoming free Saturday seminar on “Gendered education, raising Boys to be Boys and Girls to be Girls.” They argue that moving from public school to homeschool or Christian school is not automatically a solution, because the home must intentionally cultivate masculine and feminine virtues rather than producing an androgynous outcome. Wade describes a concern that some conservative homeschool and classical Christian settings raise boys and girls toward identical goals—often modeled on high-achieving professional outcomes—rather than toward differentiated male and female callings.They contend that even without explicit ideology, conservative Christian homes can unintentionally absorb modern assumptions (e.g., career-first aspirations for girls, reluctance about early marriage), leading to husbands and wives whose daily lives are largely indistinguishable. The episode closes by encouraging listeners to read and trust the Bible’s vision of manhood and womanhood and to intentionally point boys and girls toward those respective directions.01:21 Why This Episode: Raising & Educating Boys and Girls + Seminar Plug04:39 Homeschooling’s Hidden Trap: Raising Boys and Girls to the Same End08:43 The Gender-Neutral Preschool Example (Sweden) and What It Reveals12:14 How Androgyny Sneaks into Conservative Christian Homes20:10 Core Thesis: God Made Boys and Girls on Purpose21:20 Different Callings at Scale: Filling vs. Forming, Homemaking vs. Provision29:12 Why “Who Made the Sandwich” Matters: The Power of Motherly Presence36:30 Modern Schooling Rewards Girls: Compliance Culture and the Boy Problem46:22 Celebrate Both Sexes at Home (Don’t Swing into Woman-Hating)48:55 Make Domestic Work Honorable and Beautiful for Your Daughters49:17 The Eternal Value of Homemaking (Cookies, Sourdough, and Gratitude)50:13 Raising Daughters with Feminine Skills & Future Marriage Prospects51:32 Let Boys Take Risks: Courage, Responsibility, and Real Faith54:42 Boundaries for Rambunctious Boys: The ‘Holy Chuck E. Cheese’ Church Example56:27 Teaching Toughness: Mistakes and Pain as ‘Tuition’ for Growth59:12 Scripture on Men & Women: 1 Timothy 2 and a Home That Expects Male Leadership01:04:58 What Should We Be Proud Of? 1 Timothy 5 and Revaluing Motherhood Over Career Status01:09:13 Motherhood as Vocation: Eve, Mary, Hannah, Deborah, and God’s Design01:13:11 Church History Wisdom: Clement of Alexandria on Manhood & Womanhood01:20:38 Where the Church Went Wrong: Gender-Neutral Expectations & Delaying Marriage01:22:42 Marrying Young (Wisely): Fertility, Formation, and Avoiding Needless Delay01:31:31 Closing Hope: Raise Boys to Be Men and Girls to Be WomenFor questions or comments, send us an email at [email protected] church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KYThe Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's DomainResources mentioned in this episodeBrookings Institution Article: “Boys Left Behind: Education Gender Gaps Across the US”CNN: “These Schools Want to Wipe Away Gender Stereotypes From an Early Age.” Follow us on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/dmichaelclaryhttps://twitter.com/wadethomasjr Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhereGod's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human SexualityFollow Michael’s writings www.dmichaelclary.com