I am a boy mom.
I am a girl mom.
I am a football mom, a soccer mom, a basketball mom, a golf mom, but all the time I feel like a grocery shopping mom.
Since our first three children are boys, men, boys, young men, I still view myself as a boy mom, and since all I knew as a child was three older brothers, it was meant to be. Those surprise blessings of girls at the end were like special frosting on top of an already yummy cake.
As a mom, when you begin your family with so much testosterone in one household, you quickly realize it’s more than just learning to cover their privates when you change their diaper – it’s the unusual noises they make, the imagination that occurs with just one stick, and the high, high places they can climb before they can even walk. That’s just where it starts.
As mine approach manhood, these three teens are truly giving me a run for my money, but I have come to terms with a few things – regardless of how much I nurture them, mentor them, instill in them virtuous character qualities, boys will still be boys.
So I bought this welcome mat for them, which marks my most favorite Christmas purchase. It graces the entrance of their room, which the three of them share. It helps remind me, that there is one place in this house, where I need to just let them be free to embrace that nonsensical behavior that marks them as all boy/men/boy. (They are in that crazy in-between place).
Now when I say “Go to your room,” it’s not a punishment like when they were young. In fact, their room is a bit too much of a man cave, they love it up there. Our oldest calls it his place of solace, which cracks me up because if you could see it, it’s anything but peaceful. (Unless, Hazmat disaster areas bring a restful feel.)
Trust me, their testosterone spills outside their bedroom as well, but if you have boys, especially younger ones, learn now to embrace the differences. A friend of mine, who only has girls, viewed some crazy behavior of younger boys around her. She looked at me, looked at them, and then questioned, “Is that normal? Is that really how they are.” I chuckled.
I no longer fret about broken items. I no longer get upset about replacing hurricane lamps in the same spot that they always bump when they wrestle. I refuse to “boy proof” our home, and in this instance, since my husband was the instigator, I just accept it, and celebrate my second hand home decor.
I no longer attempt to keep all bad smells out of the house (or children would never come in). Now, I just buy great smelling products to help disguise it.
I no longer try to figure out how they can eat so much at meals, at snack time, at game time, ALL the time, but instead, just get smarter with my shopping regime (and hide things I really don’t want eaten immediately).
You know, the mystery behind why guys do what they do during “guy time” may never be fully understood. They are just wired differently from us, but one thing I do know is that when they are hungry, life is good when they are fed well.
The message of “Men: Easier Fed than Understood” is one theme that resonates in this home. Understanding the guys in our life may be hard, but feeding them doesn’t have to be. Ball Park is dedicated to making food that is juicy, handheld and easy to make for any guy time occasion. Our fridge always has some kind of “dog” tucked away for the many late nights they want to grab something quick.
So for you Boy moms – what’s the thing that has surprised you the most about raising boys?
The fearlessness that boys have has been the HARDEST thing to accept. I grew up with one sister and soon found the mystery that are boys when I had my two boys (plus an older daughter). My husband has had to teach me how to let go and not freak out every time they do something I deem “dangerous”. You know, like climbing to the TOP of the trees, getting on the roof to get down frisbees, etc. They sure are fun though. :0)
Im mostly a girl mom but after raising 4 girls, I was pretty stumped at this boy thing.. The baby, now 22, is a boy and mostly over the years I’ve just shaken my head and covered my eyes at his boyness..and laughed at other times, shaking my head.
He’s definitely made me crazy over the years, but I have complete confidence that he is going to make some lucky girl a wonderful partner. Hes loving, fun, helpful, thoughtful and considerate.. and he loves his (step) mama. 🙂
My 4 oldest are boys (2 younger girls) from 19 down to 9, and I’m amazed at their different personalities. One is a musician/mech. engineer/computer geek, another is an athlete, another likes to dance and read, and the last just loves reading and the ocean. How does one adapt to all of these differences? I’m not sure yet. But I know God has a plan for them all. I love my boys!
I helped raise my brothers before I headed off to college and then had 3 boys of my own who have all grown into awesome men. I’m now expecting my first grandchild (who is also a boy) within a few weeks. The one thing the surprised me the most is the protective nature of my boys for each other and for the rest of the family. They are all strong men with extremely and loving hearts. Our family has been through some rough and scary times but we have always gotten through it as a family and it made us so much closer. Even though one of my boys is all the way in Germany now, we still talk almost daily. I had always heard that boys tend to not be as close to their parents when they grow up but that has not been the case in our family at all.
Yes, well, interesting. I have six sons, ages 11-23, all still living at home. No girls. The older two in college go locally. It seems with the way the economy is they may all go locally, we have 5 options within driving distance. So far 3 have worked since 16 and have all chosen 1 female and stayed with that one long term-ish. There are so many things to appreciate, I think right now I see them making wise decisions on their own and it makes us so proud. The wise ones mostly outweigh the not so wise. It’s one long sports season, and ESPN is on an infinite loop here. I was one of three girls growing up, good thing I was the Tom-boy.
I think I am most surprised by the endless fascination with any humor involving body parts or bodily functions!
I’m a mom of a daughter, but we are pregnant with our second – I LOVED this “peek” into the life of a house with boys!!! 🙂 Sounds like a fun time! 🙂
As a mom of three boys, I’ve learned to not let anything surprise me. Because anything can happen!
As the Mom of three boys (twins that are almost 10 and the other almost 13), I really appreciate this post. The one thing that has surprised me about my boys is how sensitive they really are and how uninterested in sports they are. I swear I must have the only boys that have absolutely no interest whatsoever in playing or watching sports, even though their Dad is a huge sports guy.
And, the other surprising thing is how much and the amount that boys poop! It seems like every other day my husband has to unclog the toilet because the poop won’t go down even though there is barely any toilet paper in there. LOL. Sorry … TMI. But seriously I think we need to upgrade to bigger toilets. LOL.
My boys are still young (1 & 3) so what I find so amazing is the energy that is endless, fearlessness, and vivid imagination.
With five boys, tot to teen, we have seen a wide variety of boy behavior. Each one has been so different from the others and yet the same. Not as much surprises me now like it used to, but there are still moments when I say, “What were you thinking?” Like the 3yo who gave himself a friction burn on his forehead by turning his Big Wheel upside down, spinning the tire really fast, and then touching his head to it. Or a different boy at 3yo who impulsively hit me in the mouth with a wooden hammer (from peg table) and broke my tooth. Ahh, three-year-old boys…
This post would be perfect for my new Sunday link-up, Life With Boys!
The delicate balance of boy-ness (farts & burps & smells & wrestling & mud & trucks & bikes & video games) and sweet-ness (hugs & kisses & snuggles & nosies & secret notes & taking care of younger kids & making surprises for grannie) – they’re fantastically amazing little creatures, aren’t they? 🙂
Emily – this is the best COMMENT of the WHOLE WEEK! Love how you summed up our guys. 🙂
Great post!
Where did you find the floor mat?
Like the other Emily above, I am amazed at the dichotomy of boys. They are sweet; they are angry with the world. They are loving; they are sad because “he’s not my friend today.” They give of themselves, and yet they want so much given to them. 🙂 My two are 6 and 9 now, and I have to say the most surprising part for me (I totally expected girls, I have no brothers and only 1 boy cousin growing up) was that they know what cars & trucks do, almost instinctively. From birth it seems, my eldest knew exactly what sound to make with trucks. 🙂 He has loved them all his 9-year-old-life. My younger boy loves animals, and will take in any little thing with a face. 🙂 I fear for his future wife – they’ll either have a million kids or a million pets. Haha!
Thanks for the great post – mine are also very happy when fed. I’m definitely looking for Ball Park on FB!
I have 3 boys 17 to 21 and I love that they can just duke it out and get over it! Drama was always to a minimum, and over in an hour. I always feel safe, I have never had to change a flat, lift anything heavy, shovel snow, or mow the lawn since the boys were old enough to do those things. They seem to be knights in shining armor to me and any other ladies they know. They are fixers. I totally agree with Joy about how much they poop! EVERY DAY (sometimes more than once) THE TOILETS HAVE TO BE UNCLOGGED (and cleaned lol).
Crack. Me. Up. As a mom to five wild things, I enjoy this post. We also have a ministry where our house is a regular hang out spot to high school and college/young adult males. Curious creatures, they are:) I really enjoy being a mom to them and gaining insight to the other 48% of the world.