My daughter’s Dora flashcards from eight years ago are back out in our house. There is a little boy who is learning his ABCs. Meanwhile, there is a mother trying to figure out how to raise him correctly.
Like any woman, I sometimes wonder what to do with these little men. My daughter, I can at least look back on childhood memories and try to relate to her. But as for to my boys, I’m usually at a loss.
I was always a girly-girl and have no clue what to do with balls, cars, toy figures or how to apply to them the rules that I grew up with.
But over the years, I’ve discovered that whether or not I can relate to their interests, raising boys is an adventure full of fun and excitement. As I tried to teach my youngest son the basics, I realized that he and his brother have also taught me his own ABCs for raising boys starting with…
A—Adam’s apple. It’s too early for this with my boys and their voices are still interchangeable with their sister, but I know it won’t be long until I see that bump and hear a different voice!
B—Balls rule their lives, whether it’s the basketball court or the football field, they can’t resist the lure of dribbling, bouncing or tossing a ball around.
C—Creepy crawlies such as dinosaurs, insects, reptiles and amphibians fascinate them to no end while freaking out their sister. This only proves how truly awesome they are.
D—Dirt. Why can’t they ever stay clean long enough? It’s almost as if they have a magnetic attraction to it.
E—Expectations. You bet I have high expectations of my sons. Yes, I’ve heard the saying “Boys will be boys” many times over, but this is not an excuse to be any less than the men I am trying to raise them to be. So, while I expect them to be messy and rough, I also want them to act appropriately and respectful of women always.
F—Fast forward. Sometimes I feel as if boys are born on perpetual fast-forward mode. Whether they are simply moving from room to room or playing with their friends, it’s like they always have to be at hyper speed, which as expected, will always result in a loud crash!
G—Gentleman. Just as I would not want my daughter to marry a jerk, I certainly refuse to raise one either. So here’s to Gentleman training 101.
Still a hug
H—Hugs! Boys seem to like hugging a lot. Maybe it’s just the amount of energy they have plus the need for physical interaction, but they seem to really enjoy hugging/wrestling/ throwing themselves at you. But no matter—it’s still a hug!
I—“I love you forever” by Robert Munsch. Our copy of this book is as worn out as you can imagine, but I never get tired of reading this book to my boys. And yes, it brings out a tear, every time.
J—Junior. Our first son has the same name as Migs, and there’s no denying he truly is a junior version of his father.
K—Kisses. How lucky are we to be the recipient of the sweetest kisses? Nothing beats a kiss from your children even if their mouths are covered in chocolate or some kind of sauce.
L—Lego. I find these little pieces everywhere. From my bed to inside my shoes, they are everywhere. Someday, my sons will want a real version of the things they are building, but for now, I’m happy to see them content with the mini versions.
M—Mama’s boys. What I mean is, no matter how old we get, I will probably always see them as the little boys they are today.
N—Nerf guns. I thought there would be no guns for my little boys, but never say never.
O—Oooww! Get ready to hear this. A lot.
P—Perspiration. As they say, girls glow and boys perspire, which probably explains why every time I pick him up from basketball or a play date, he looks like he just took a bath… in sweat.
Q—Quitters never win. I don’t know how well my sons will do in their chosen sports or future activities, but I know that I can teach them to always do their best and never give up.
R—Respect. We need to make sure that before they leave home, we’ve ingrained the value of respect deep in our sons’ hearts by making them practice it every day with whomever they may be with.
S—Sensitive. Who says boys don’t cry and always have to be tough talking and macho? I love the sensitive side of my boys that comes out when they see you sad, or at night as you’re putting them to sleep.
T—Toilet bowl seat. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this myself: Lift that seat up before peeing, then put it back down. I wish I could put a prerecorded message on loop in the bathroom.
U—Use their manners. It may take me half my life but I will get them to use their manners. Someday.
V—Vroom, vroom! Whether it be planes, trains or automobiles, there will be all sorts of miniature forms of transportation all over your house. It never ceases to amaze me how many hours of fun my sons can have with nothing but their imagination and a couple of toy cars.
W—Wait till your father gets home… Oh no, he just joined in. Great.
Y—Yes! Sometimes, you just have to give in and say yes, go ahead. Go crazy with the garden hose or whatever it may be. As long as nobody gets hurt. Oops. Too late.
Z—Zoo. How my house sounds like when my older son has his buddies over. And he’s not even a teenager yet.
Now I know my ABCs, or at least until I reach the teenage years; then we will probably need a whole new set again.
