I think ignoring this type of commentary is to do it at our peril. Having been a single mother I did not find it easy and would have welcomed a male hand in the mix. Not only was I aware I didn’t always make good decisions (though I tried), it was the extra value put on another person’s opinion that balanced events out.
And boys are really different. I remember watching my son playing in a little mud hole with his trucks. The next time I watched, minutes later, he was sitting in the mud hole, splashing mud all over himself and loving the feel of it. My daughters were standing to the side pretending to gag at how dirty he was. I loved it all.