I am by no means a professional, but I am raising a boy, so I thought I would share a few of my experiences as a boy mom!
I honestly thought I was having a girl. When we found out it was a boy, I had to quickly let go of all the thoughts of braids and bows, ruffles and sparkles. That image came easily to me since I was that kind of little girl growing up.
Throughout my pregnancy, I would browse the baby boy section at Target and notice that everything seemed to be sports or animal themed—very stereotypical “boy.” I remember feeling a little disappointed by the selection compared to all the adorable options for girls. Eventually, though, when my son was a baby and toddler, I fell in love with the Petite Lem brand from Nordstrom (which was both good and bad since it definitely isn’t cheap!). Luckily, a resale shop near us carried that brand quite often while my son was little, so I was able to find some great pieces there.
Once he started moving around, however, I cared a lot less about what his clothes looked like. He was constantly getting holes in the knees and dirt on everything! Sometimes his clothes would get so dirty that I’d honestly just throw them away. That phase definitely kept me on my toes!
What I didn’t realize before becoming a boy mom was just how busy boys can be. Our son was always trying to climb something, which meant I had to keep one eye on him at all times. Redirecting him took up a lot of our day, so we spent a lot of time at the park. Swinging, running, and digging in the sandbox quickly became our routine. Anything that helped him burn off energy was a win.
He also loved helping. When it was time to clean up toys, I would make up little songs and have him help me put everything away. I laugh about that now because he’s 11, and if I jokingly sing the clean-up song, he still remembers it!
One thing that really surprised me, though, was how emotional he could be from such an early age. I had this preconceived idea that boys were just rough and tough, but his sweet and sensitive side showed up often—and it still does. I cherish those moments. At times, he tends to bottle up his feelings, so I’ve always tried to pay close attention to that. At every stage of his life, I’ve made an effort to get on his level and talk with him about his emotions and how we could work through whatever he was feeling. Being patient and validating his feelings over the years has helped keep our communication open, and I truly hope that continues as he enters his teenage years! (I may send for help…)
Boys can definitely feel like a different kind of adventure compared to girls, but in many ways you go through similar stages—just in different ways. The most important thing to remember is that every child is unique and will need different things along the way. Having a strong support system of family and friends is invaluable, because it really does take a village to raise them.
