Because I’m Raising Boys: A House Full of Boys…

I’m not going to lie, when I was first pregnant with my oldest son I was scared to death. I had no idea how I was going to raise a boy. I was the oldest of girls growing up in our household and we thought boys were “icky”. I had a lot to learn and the only way to do it was from experience, so I’m going to share with you some of the things I have learned over the years raising BOYS.

Tips for Raising Boys:

1.) You MUST teach them to put the seat down at an early age, otherwise it’s useless. It doesn’t matter if you are the only female in the house and they think YOU should have to put the seat UP for them…nope, don’t fall for it Mom!

2.)  The ER and hospital will more than likely know you by name due to the balancing acts and curious adventures your son will go on. You will learn in time what is worth an ER trip and what can be bandaged and kissed away.

3.) Just because you can stand to pee does not mean you are good at it. Be sure to reinforce NOT looking at the ceiling and in every other direction while peeing. Consider convincing them that the hole in the bottom of the toilet is a target and challenge them to hit it every time. Boys love a challenge!

4.) Gas (farts) do not make you go faster! It’s good to point this out while they are young.

5.) Worms do not go in pockets. Be sure to ALWAYS check pockets.

6.) Frogs and other small animals aren’t so bad. As long as you don’t find them in the washing machine or on your pillow, they really can be a fun companion for your child.

7.) You should probably teach them from a young age that the ceiling fan is not a swing. They should never hook things to it, it will NOT hold their weight, and they should never try to jump from the top bunk to propel from the fan. (Yes, this happened to us!)

8.) Speaking of bunk beds—we don’t recommend them for boys. They often think of them as their personal indoor jungle gym. And yes, stitches are more painful than the fall!

9.) Legos should never be eaten, however if ingested you may find them a couple days later, so be on the lookout.

10.) If there is a big red button that says, “Do NOT Push” their curiosity will get the best of them and it will drive them crazy until they PUSH and find out why they weren’t supposed to push. It’s true. If you must label it, make sure they know WHY they can’t do it, that way they aren’t curious.

11.) Always look in the oven before turning it on. You never know what your children may have hid in there.

12.) While rocks may survive the washing machine, crayons and playdoh do not.

13.) A toddler can fit more stuff in his pockets than an adult male. I really have no clue how this is possible, but it is.

14.) Even though they have a cape and a super hero costume, they still can not fly from coffee tables and bunk beds. They often need to be reminded of this (maybe when you see the cape come out–time for a reminder).

15.) You should never place a lighter near your backside when you fart. (Trust me, they are going to want to try this at some point in time and your husband may even be interested…it’s a bad idea to begin with).

16.) Alum cures stinky feet when placed in shoes. Try it–I would not lie!

17.) Super glue is just as it says, SUPER…meaning forever and ever, you do NOT want to use it on something you do NOT want stuck together forever. It’s best to keep glue sticks in the house when boys are around, they are much easier to clean up and no harm can be done (that I know of).

18.) Playdoh may be somewhat safe, however it is not okay to eat and if your brother makes you a playdoh sandwich, you do NOT have to eat it in order to play with him. It’s good to enforce this to the younger children.

19.) You SHOULD run when you hear the words, Uh-Oh or when you hear nothing at all. Silence is not always good when you have boys.

20.) Even though they are boys, they need affection too. Love them, kiss them, hug them and most importantly…TELL them you Love them.

What are your tips for raising boys?