Kids don't respond to mockery they way we did when I was younger. At least not to mockery that is too overt. Yeah, you can joke about his behavior but it could likely backfire. Instead, try to teach the kid to act in a manly way. Give him masculine role models to emulate instead of allowing him to form his opinion of what it means to be a man by watching 'influencers' online.
Suggest he learn a trade and teach him skills that he'll need in life. Basic carpentry and repairs, like drywall and framing. Painting. Electrical. Plumbing. Work on projects that will build character but also teach skills. Install a fence. Fix a sidewalk. Swap out that crappy old mailbox for a new one. Have him help you mow the lawn, and have him help the elderly couple down the street with their lawn.
Basically, be the man you want him to grow up to be.
This is a good one. Teaching someone that they can "do it themselves" and they don't always have to hire someone to do something for them is important. It is also good to learn how to fail. You just learned how not to do something. Then you re-do it until it is right.
I knew a guy that his wife would not let their 12 year old boy take out the trash if it was dark outside. She thought he would get abducted or something. The kid was a weak flake and it was the mothers fault. They live in a very, very, safe area and kidnappings are almost always family members or friends of the family.
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