Lately, I’ve been looking around at all my friends whose children are graduating from high school and college, and thinking, “How did they grow up so fast?”
I’m immediately reminded that in the blink of an eye my little 7-year-old will be experiencing the same thing so I’m constantly looking at him; watching him, and listening to his little voice, wishing I could freeze time.
All this growing up brings to mind the many things I love about raising our little boy,
I thought I’d share these 11 pieces of advice for moms of little boys…
Kiss them and tell them you love them at the bus stop. It won’t be long before they won’t want to be seen with you so take advantage of this opportunity while you can. I know I do.
Indulge in their curiosity. When they ask how Harry Potter got his magic, or how cheese is made, engage. Answer directly and ask more questions.
Indulge in their curiosity about their bodies. When they talk openly about their bodies (or yours) or ask how babies are born, try (as hard as it may be) not to laugh. Answer simply and directly.
Wrestle. It’s not just for siblings and Dads. Boys especially are very physical when they’re young. Wrestling is an outlet for them to connect and get the wiggles out.
Hug it out. This is one of the toughest but most gratifying. When meltdowns happen (and lord knows they do), give them a safe space to let it out. When they start to calm down, offer to hug it out. Demonstrating a calm example followed by a gesture of love has been the best medicine for managing and reducing meltdowns for us.
Instill gratitude. We have a gratitude journal. Every night at bedtime, we talk about what we’re grateful for. It doesn’t matter if it’s Oreo cookies, just the thought is enough.
Teach kindness. It’s never too early to teach kindness. We talk openly about the importance of being kind to others, and to always stick up for the kids who are being made fun of.
Hold their little hand as long as they’ll let you. Similar to kissing them at the bus stop, take every opportunity you can to hold their little hand and relish in the times they reach for yours first.
Snuggle at bed-time. Gil and I have a bed-time routine that’s developed into a bit of a game. After we read books, we snuggle. When I get up to leave, I hear his little voice say, “one more minute?”. Gets me every time.
Embrace the ordinary. Gil still finds bubble baths fun. He loves parades (let’s face it, he likes it when they throw candy to the bystanders), and twice this week he saw a red cardinal in our yard, and called me in to make sure I saw it too. I savor every second of these moments and do my best to write them in my journal.
Let them eat chocolate. Enough said.
And for mom’s of teenage boys, here’s some great advice for you.
What advice do you have? Leave me a comment below. If you enjoyed this post, I’d love it if you share it and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Photo by juan pablo rodriguez on Unsplash