Biggest Boy Challenge!

For me I think it's the energy level of my boys, and for my teen boy the hormones!

I think the biggest challenge is raising them to be strong, loving husbands and fathers. Teaching them how important it is to be a hard worker and provider for their family. Teaching that it is ok for them to have AND show emotions, it is ok to cry. Good question Bajj!

Honestly, right this minute my biggest challenge is to convince him that peeing on the rug in his room is not really quite as amusing as he thinks it is.

Oh, I can relate!I told someone the other day my youngest son is an "equal opportunity wetter" because one night when he wet his bed, he climbed up on his brother's bed and wet it, too!Mom24, I agree with you, too. That is a huge challenge and it seems today's society is all about "it's not your fault" and we have to teach our kids to take responsiblity, even when it ISN'T their fault, they can still control how they react, kwim?

I have 2 boys 7 and 3. For my 3 yr old it is instilling that when Dady is gone that I am the "Poss of him"...his words. When dad is home Mom is the "poss"... For my 7 year old...biggest issue right now is that yes we live in Texas but when it is 49 degrees in the morning, shorts and a short sleever are NOT appropriate attire! The equal opportunity wetter had me ROLLING laughing! Great thread!

Oh my, my 6 year old keeps wanting to wear shorts and short sleeves. The other day I let him and he came home and said, "why didn't you make me wear long pants? I froze all day!" Well, he doesn't argue about it not (we'll see how long that lasts). ;)

I gave up on the clothes issue ages ago except in mid-winter and near freezing/below freezing temps come into play. He'll go out with boots, but no socks, long sleeved sweatshirt, but no coat, etc. Eventually he will come in because he gets cold...but I do time it! If he's out longer than I think I could stand having my skin exposed, I call him in and force some mittens and a coat on or something. The other day he was out WITHOUT A SHIRT in low 50 degree weather. BIL thought I was a Bad Mommy and called my Ds over to feel his chest and see how cold he was. Turns out Ds was not cold at all, but actually warm to the touch. He's pretty warm blooded, so I'm not ALL bad. :evilgrin: For me I think one of the harder aspects of parenting boys is the wildly enthusiastic expression of emotions. Not the moody swings like with girls, but the total exuberance that my boys have. They are ANGRY, or SAD, or HAPPY with very obvious exuberance, and there isn't alot of mellow ground in between. That, and the whole, er, male process kind of thing. I mean, erections? I don't really deal with those, or the whole uncircumcised care stuff. THOSE are Daddy Issues that Daddy explains and monitors, kwim?

I think accepting the dare devil behavior...crawling OVER the side rail of the top bunk rather than using the ladder, throwing all the blankets and mattress on the floor to break their fall when they jump from the top if the toy chest, diving into the pool and not wanting to be caught. There just doesn't seem to be any fear or caution.

Your boys sound like my youngest. At my sister's house, he jumped right in the pool w/o anyone even in! :eek: We had to jump him after him and pull him up.He also climbs over the railing of hte bed instead of up the ladder. He is not supposed to be on the top bunk, but, as my earlier bed wetting post shows, he doesn't listen to that rule in the middle of the night. I guess I could just be thankful he didn't come wet MY bed! ;)

The Leap First, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th before looking. SIgh...dd will usually hurt herself once on a "stupid trick" and not do it again or at least not with complete abandon as she did the first time. My boys? No...it's "COOOL! How can we top it now????" I just know the ER is going to know me by sight before the kids are teens. I JUST KNOW IT!

My struggle right now with my 15 year old is to teach him to be a kind person who is considerate of others (he is a really sensitive, thoughtful young man) and to have a little toughness in him as well. It is hard to find that balance. I don't want him to be completely insensitive, but I don't like him getting picked on/bullied in school either. My youngest, would be HIS MOUTH! That pre-puberty attitude out of this boy that was the SWEETEST, MOST HAPPY BABY IN THE WORLD. He can not be an eye rolling, "yessssss mommmmmmmmmm", "i didn't hear you", mean little turkey!

We are SO already there! Early May Bug takes a swing in the head...an ER trip and 3 stitches on teh brow line. He gets his out and the following week Bear slides accross the pergo losing his footing and crackes his head on a cabinet...an ER trip and 3 stitches. No kidding...the very next week DH is opening a toy with a pocket knife and it slips into the webbing of his hand between his thumb and fore finger...another trip to the ER. When our primary doctor took out the last set of stitches she just turned to me and said "you better be careful, you could be next". Fortunately I survived adn it was 2 more months before we were in the ER again...Bug got stung by a bee on the penis and without adequate family history...and the swelling, I did not take any chances. It was embarrassing when I got there and realized that I was in such a hurry to get him seen that I didn't have so much as a diaper for him. They ended up sending him home in a hospital gown. So maybe my biggest challenge is staying out of the ER???

((((((((bug-n-bears))))))))))))

We were at the ER for 2 hours in the early afternoon, then went to the wedding we were supposed to attend for 1 hour, then BACK to the ER for 7 hours with a different child. When they called ahead to let the ER know we were coming in again, the Dr. said, 'No, you just missed her. She just left...', and they had to explain I was coming back with a different child. :rolleyes: