5 Things I Love About Being A Boymom

Growing up, our family was dominated by females. I had three older male cousins who were more like big brothers. They did everything together. As one of the older girl cousins, I looked up to them and we were close. Our family had way more girls than we could count (Hispanic families are big to say the least) so it made sense that the boys stuck together like glue.  Even though I loved my Barbies and Rainbow Brite doll, hanging with the boys was a blast.

I remember when the boys were playing Nintendo one time and I wanted to play SO bad! But I didn't get a turn. They were always good about including me but that time they didn't. Upset, I took a large pair of scissors and chopped off Barbie's precious locks. In that moment, I hated being a girl. In my young mind, the boys ALWAYS did fun stuff and I wanted in their little club. I was thrilled when they gave me old baseball cards and action figures...it was like I was one of them!

Now that I have a little boy of my own, childhood memories make me smile. Especially since there was no "boys club" and all the kids did fun stuff together. It really didn't matter, boy or girl. We hiked in the woods with no shoes, hung out in a treehouse, played in the pool until everything was blue and the sun went to sleep, made mud pies, climbed trees (and read books in them), rode our bikes all summer, and played video games until the morning came. I'm not saying girls don't play as hard as boys...we sure did! It's just boys carry themselves differently than girls in everything they do and I was always drawn to that freedom.

There are many reasons why I love being a mother to a boy. David is going to be two this April (did I just type that?) and we have shared some amazing moments. I have a series called "Dear David..." where I write my son letters about things on my heart and document what my thoughts are for him to read some day. As a mother, I want to always be open and understanding to his needs as a growing male in this current world. Here are just a few reasons why being a boymom rocks my socks:

5.) No dresses. No tights. No fuss.

Don't get me wrong, I love to dress my little man like a, well, little man. Nothing is cuter than a mini bow tie and suit. But if I decided one day to bring my boy to church with overalls and old sneakers, no one would care! There is this laid-back mindset that comes with boys. Daughters are thought to be proper and well-dressed while boys can pretty much walk into anywhere with a dirty face and everyone would just smile and say "Oh, he's a boy all right!" This makes a boymom a little relaxed (not that we really care what other people think). We just like to have the "he's a boy" excuse from time to time. Come on, you know you do!

4.) Silly and goofy is a language

It's the best. The fact that I can get super silly and giggly with my boy anywhere, anytime is totally awesome! He loves that I "get" his crazy language. We shake, dance, jump, run, leap and hop...and connect. The way he looks at me with those big eyes when we are doing a funny jig is priceless. How his smile widens when mommy gets low to his eye level and pretends to be a frog is astounding. I love the fact that boys have such a free spirit and want to express themselves with laughter. It truly soothes my rough edges on a daily basis.

3.) Hands-on learning and play

I have to admit, my boy is pretty cautious. Usually when I introduce a new activity (especially a messy one) he takes a good five minutes analyzing everything before he partakes. Which is a good thing. You can tell it's not because he's afraid to try new things but that he wants to see how things work first. One thing I love about being a boymom is that being hands-on is essential to their learning and development. For any child, really, I just notice that boys are not afraid to use all of their senses when learning or playing so introducing hands-on activities is thrilling to watch. We recently went outside on a dreary/rainy day and gathered wet leaves, twigs and bark. He had a blast being outside and touching all of the textures. I had a blast seeing my boy appreciating nature and learning from it.

2.) The opportunity to raise a Godly man

This can be a daunting thought but it is amazing to me that God has blessed us with a boy and that we now have the honor of raising a Godly man. Someday, he might be a leader in his family, business or both. Someday, he might become a missionary and teach home bible studies. Someday, he will (hopefully) have his own relationship with God and have a willing heart to obey Him.  Just having the opportunity to raise a man with good morals, integrity and faith brings my heart such purpose. There are so many men in the world who just needed a mother to believe in them, uplift their spirits and speak life-breathing words. I love that my son will be given the opportunity to reach his full potential in Christ, as long as we (his parents) treat our roles with the respect they so desperately need.

1.) Being home base

A few years ago, I read a post by Tabitha from Team Studer. It was called "25 Rules for Mothers of Sons" and it truly changed my life. I tear up just thinking about it, especially her #25 rule about being home base. I was going to summarize what she said here but Tabitha truly captured the heart of a boymom in her own words and agreed that I could share them with you:

"You are home to him.  When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back.  When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile.  When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times.  When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands.  When he is sick, he will call you.  When he really messes up, he will call you.  When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious.  Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun.  Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place."

Boymom Resources:
The MOB Society
15 Vow I Make To My Son  
Pouring Water: Toddler Activity
20 Ways To Keep Toddlers Busy
Explore Textures on an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
In Defense of Dads
25 (More) Craft Ideas for Boys
7 Things Every Mom Should Teach Her Son
A Letter Every Mom Should Read To Her Son | Expectations on Dating