Sons with no father

[Rosieblue12]

I just wondered what your thoughts are about the effects of boys growing up with no father or other male figure in their lives.
if i google it it comes up with terrible hours stories.
Im a single mum of an only child, my boy has lots of friends but no dad or other family.
can you tell me your experiences of raising boys with no father if it has effected them badly like the media says it does?

My husband passed away suddenly when my son was six. He hasn't had a proper male role model. He is very outgoing, and always gravitated towards male teachers growing up.
But it's from the age of 14/15 that I really think he felt the lack of a father figure. He really needed someone, other than me, to offer guidance or even just to play off me. So if he was mad at me he'd have someone else to go to and vice versa. He has struggled (he's now 19) over that past few years - covid was awful as it coincided with him leaving school and friends and going to a vocational college. It was hard to make friends and he couldn't do his work experience due to lock downs.
I do give him advice and try my best, took him to every rugby practise and volunteered at the club, watched endless football matches, but it's just not enough now.
I just think he'd listen to another male more than he does to me, and of course someone who understands the male experience.
I'd encourage you to find someone, a male friend, cousin, brother in law, who may spend some time with him occasionally, particularly as he grows into an adolescent.
My son will be ok in the long run, and some of his issues may have nothing to do with not having a father, but there are no similar issues with my daughter.