As a child I was a tomboy. So when I found out that my first child was a boy, I thought parenting would be a snap. However, climbing tees, catching frogs, playing baseball, football, and army still was not enough to prepare me for the experience of raising boys! As a mother and adult it can be challenging to really understand my boys’ unique needs.
Both of my children seem to be polar opposites in personality. One likes sports, the other music, one is introverted and the other is an extrovert. I can usually expect that whatever I cook, one will like and the other will not like. *sigh*
I think the first step in raising children of an opposite gender is to try to really understand who they are as individuals, and not just the popular stereotypes. So, how does one do that? The first step is through observation. I am still trying to figure out exactly what makes my guys tick. Why do they act and react in certain ways? Why do they do things like make a gun out of every object they come across, and laugh so hard at bathroom humor? I think it is really important for me to try to “get” who my children really are. I could wade through this parenting thing with my head in the sand, while tending to my responsibilities in a sensible manner and never really get to know these wonderful treasures. I know that with a lot of effort and time it can be different.
The next thing I do is try to increase my knowledge base about the characteristics of boys. I read a lot of books about parenting, boys in particular, so that I can at least feel somewhat qualified to teach and direct these impressionable souls. I take notes and refer back to those notes occasionally so that I can attempt to keep them in the forefront of my mind when the craziness of life threatens to overtake my sanity.
Over the next several days I will review and highlight specifically how several books that I have read over the past year have been especially helpful in my parenting journey.