On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends

Note from producer: This conversation was originally published on March 23, 2021, but has been updated and republished on June 13, 2024.

As we look forward to the wide expanse of summer, one thing certainly on our minds is how we can support our sons’ friendships in the absence of school. Turns out, we needn’t look further than our own living rooms. In fact, welcoming our children’s friends into our homes may be the healthiest place for authentic, lifelong friendship to grow.

In a timely rebroadcast from 2021, Assistant Headmaster Tom Royals helps parents to see their homes as a venue for hospitality—one that integrates our children’s social lives with the culture of the home. He especially highlights a vision for hosting teens, who often stray away from home-based gatherings just when it’s most beneficial.

Chapters

• 01:45 Begin Interview
• 02:28 Parents building a culture of home gatherings
• 06:50 Hosting high schoolers, knowing your home
• 11:24 Co-ed hosting
• 12:56 Spontaneous hosting
• 15:05 Parents working with parents
• 16:12 Crucial years: establishing this culture before they launch
• 18:14 Hospitality and the temperaments of your children
• 20:24 The example of Fr. Robert Kimball
• 25:28 The role of the father
• 29:01 Parental presence at teen gatherings: freedom and formation
• 33:07 Modeling friendship, hospitality

• Friendship and the 21st-Century Boy featuring Alvaro de Vicente
• Family Culture featuring Alvaro de Vicente
• On Friendship after Senior Year featuring Dave Maxham