Raising kids isn’t easy no matter what gender they are. But, as a mother of two sons, I know a heck of a lot about raising boys. Even as I sat down to write this guest post (for Randy Patterson and Northeast Doulas) I was interrupted by my three year old son Miles walking into my office holding a giant kitchen knife requesting that I slice him up a snack, followed shortly after by my six year old banging away to The Who on his drum set-up. Let’s just say that raising boys comes with a few special notes!

Crisis averted, earplugs in and my inspiration fueled- here we go:

5 Things I know about raising boys

  1. Their aim sucks.  No matter how much you clean, your bathroom will always smell like a bar restroom and there will always be scraps of food near the garbage. We’re always reminding them to be careful but I’m convinced it’s because boys are too busy racing off to do something else to stop and make sure they’ve hit the target.
  2. There will be a LEGO phase. It’s almost unavoidable with ALL kids. Star WarsScooby DooLego FriendsGhostbusters– we have it all. Once those little bricks hit those fingers your life at once become much easier and much harder. Easier because they’ll be preoccupied with building and creating but harder because you’ll spend half your life picking LEGO out of the bottom of your feet.
  3. Penises everywhere, all the time. I’m not sure what it is about boys and their penises, but commonly said phrases around here include “Please put your underwear back on!” and “Don’t play with your penis at the dinner table.” So, if you’ve got a little boy, get ready to get comfortable with this!
  4. Relatives may be scared to invite you over. Maybe this is just MY boys, but for most people the idea of a couple of boys under the age of 6 coming over to play is nerve-wracking. My aunt puts away her breakables, just in case.
  5. They’ll always love their mom the most. Have you ever read the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch? It’s a classic over here, but sometimes I can barely get to the end without sobbing. I remember reading it to Dylan one night and looking over with my eyes filled with tears and seeing his filled with tears too. We both snuggled into each other’s arms a bit tighter, knowing exactly what the other one was feeling. No matter how rough or tough they claim to be, most boys are sweet and soft when it comes to their moms. It’s the least they can do after giving us 387 heart attacks before they turn 12.

Authored by: Megan Howarth