I don’t think anyone is truly prepared for what is in store when they become a parent for the first time but for a mom to boys it may seem like you have been zapped onto another planet. How can these little people be so busy or so messy ALL the time? There is no manual that can possibly prepare you to raise boys but here are a few things all moms of boys learn from on-the-job experience that can help others understand a bit more what our life is like.
16 Things Moms of Boys Know
1. That no matter how hard you try, you will never understand what goes on inside their little heads that makes them want to destroy everything that comes in their path.
2. That fighting and playing sound a lot a like! And both are VERY loud!
3. That no topic of conversation is off-limits and that they will speak their minds to anyone at anytime, often leaving you red-faced and apologetic.
4. That one of the mysteries of the world is how a freshly bathed boy can walk outside for 2.5 seconds and come back in smelling like a wet dog.EVERY.TIME!
5.That everything and anything will be turned into a gun or a sword.
Moms of boys know:
6. That you must ALWAYS check pockets before washing clothes. Little boys are hoarders and carry their best finds in their pockets.
7. That little boys have their own inside jokes and one little phrase or saying will be repeated over and over and they will giggle for hours.
8. That a cardboard box is better than any expensive toy you can buy them.
9. That in the eyes of little boys, couches are ships and carpet is either hot lava or crocodiles.
10. That to little boys there is only one food group: pizza!
Moms of boys know:
11. That firemen, policemen, “Armymen” and astronauts are the COOLEST people in the world and all little boys want to be one at one point in their lives .
12. That the strongest forts in the world are made from blankets and pillows.
13. That little boys are born with a natural instinct to BURN things.
14. That little boys are too busy to inconvenience themselves with things such as properly “aiming” into the toilet and they’ll do their business just about anywhere.
15. That the end of every day it will seem like you have just survived a hurricane and after the boys are settled in bed you will slowly walk out to assess the damage.
16. But most of all, moms of boys know that there isn’t anything that compares to the love a little boy has for his mommy and that at the end of the day the hugs, kisses, cuddles and “I love you’s” make up for everything they put us through and though we might constantly feel exhausted we wouldn’t trade a single sticky kiss, smudged fridge, fingerprinted window, or hurricane-stricken living room for anything.
What things do you know from raising boys?
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Yes, I’m Raising Boys, and No, I’m not Sorry
Milissa says
This mom of boys know that…
It ain’t for the weak! Knowing where all the urgent care facilities are & keeping your insurance card on you at all times is a must. Bumps & bruises are a daily adventure. “Real men have scars” is what you tell your boys as they are getting stitches…. for the 5th time. First aid kits are always within reach & Mama ALWAYS has bandaids in her purse.
Oh the joy of raising boys <3
Kara says
Yes! Very true! I can’t believe I left that out. I’m actually feeling fortunate that after 9 years of raising boys we’ve only been to the ER once. Knock on wood!
Love this and so true! My son just destroys everything he comes in contact with and looks at me like..”what” “what’s wrong”….hilarious
haha! That is definitely a daily occurrence at our house. I wish I could read minds and know what goes through their heads. 🙂
“That little boys are born with a natural instinct to BURN things.”
Love this and so true….
From a mom of three little princes and one princess, it is constantly…
“Can I light the candle?”
“Can we light the fire?”
So fun.
Great post.
Blessings,
Angie
Thank you Angie. My boys keep me on my toes and make me laugh all at once as I try and figure out what goes on in their little minds. Thanks for visiting!
Thank you so much for this..i needed to read this. AS A Mom of 3 boys..sometimes I wonder if I am doing something wrong. They are so busy..active..the list goes on. Its good to know I’m not alone!
I’m so glad you liked this! You are definitely not alone. 🙂
Great post. I’m also a mom of 4 boys. I’d say that they have so much enegry, where do they get it from? People think take them outside or to the YMCA to burn off energy but what they don’t realize is that it fuels them with even more energy. Maybe they suck the energy from us moms cause while they become more energetic we become more drained. 🙂
lol! Yes there must be some way they are taking our energy and using it for themselves. It’s all starting to make sense now. I think it starts during pregnancy because my boys NEVER held still even then. 😉
I love your site!!! I love that it is mostly for boys and that is awesome!!!! I am a mother of a boy!! Thank you for being so inspirational!!!
Thank you so much Tracy! I love meeting moms of boys. Your site is adorable!
Thanks very much, Kara!!! My blog is still new, work in progress, so I am still working on it!!! It is very hard sometimes when it comes to boys….girls have all sorts of things….boys are harder….and I am soooo happy to meet other Moms of boys also!!! And thank you for all the inspiration that you share!!! Have a wonderful day!! 🙂
All so true! Our fav book my 7 yr old boy and I share is “I Love You Forever” and I always tell him that I so feel like I’m leaving in the zoo. But when he’s in bed, already sleeping, all I can whisper to him is “as long as I’m leaving, my baby you’ll be” He’s way so different from my lil pricess, but both are too precious to me.
That is so sweet. I LOVE that book! Little boys really do love their mommy and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Thanks for sharing.
This mother of a boy knows that ANYTHING can be converted to a “Vroom”, or a car/truck/bus, and make the correct noises. Also, all the furniture in your house exists merely to provide interesting ramps and raceways for a slew of toy cars.
So true! I’ve seen people use duct tape to make “roads” around their floor and up the furniture. I’ve always wanted to try it with my boys. I’m sure they would love it!
Hi Kara!
Just stopping by to say hi! Wendy (Wendy’s hat) sent me your way. Love this post
xoxo Wish you were heading to SNAP. I’d love to chat with another MOB (mom of boys) mom.
~Angela
So true!!! I have three boys – I know just what you are talking about.
I love this!! I am a mom of 3 little boys. I’ve got a 7 yr old and TWIN 4 yr olds. There energy just amazes me!! But I would trade them for anything in this world!
Wow Kristi, I can’t imagine the energy of twin 4 year old boys. I’m sure they feed off each other but I bet your house is lots of fun! 🙂
Wouldn’t trade them!
I have to say that having raised 3 boys everything here is so true. The best part about having now 3 grown sons is the love they still share with me, their mother. They will always hold a special place in my heart and it really is wonderful to see how their love for me has bloomed as they have grown up into young adults. All of you moms of boys are blessed beyond words.
Thank you for sharing Susan. I feel blessed beyond words. 🙂
I love this! It helped me to know what to expect in the coming years. I just had my little boy 4 months ago and he’s already full of energy and so very curious!
Congrats on your baby boy! They are definitely balls of energy, even from birth.
I have four boys … And all of that is so true! 3 are out of high school & 1 still in grade school. Anything involving hitting your head (or someone else’s) or butts & farts is ALWAYS funny … No matter how old they are! They love us in their own ways when their little & you may feel unappreciated at times … But there will be a day when they realize all the little things & sacrifices you make for them … I don’t know that a lil girl would have survived in our house … LOL. I love that I have all boys!! I am the queen!!
It always surprises me the things that they find funny and how hard they will laugh over the silliest things. Love it!
I have girls so this was so different for me. So different!!!! Sometimes I wish I had a boy!
Haha! Staci, boys are definitely a lot of fun and a lot of work. 😉 I don’t know if a little girl would survive in our house.
My house is full of girls – and lots of drama and hormones – ugh! – but a lot of these are true for girls, too! I always laugh when someone tells me how great it must be to have girls who don’t wrestle and fight. Bwahaha! Yeah, right. Pretty sure my girls can take their boys any day.
That’s funny! I know that this doesn’t fit every kid but being in a house with only boys, it pretty much fits our family. 🙂 I’ll never know the girl side of things. 🙂
So true. You nailed it! I have two daughters and one son, and the relationship is different between each child and I. I have to say though, that the relationship that my son and I have is totally unique. He not only is the only boy, but we share the same birthday and we think so much alike that we can finish each other’s sentences. He has always been extremely energetic, and still is at age 11. And like you, I have enjoyed each and every one of his antics. This is not to say that I don’t feel a special bond with my girls, but boys are so much fun!
Thanks so much for leaving this comment. It is so true that each of our kids are different and unique and bring something special to our families.
Hi Kara,
I am a mommy of 4 lil boys too! Aged 9,7,5,4. They are just amazing!
Your posts are so true and nice to identify with!
Blessings,
Annayein
I love my boys! I have a son and helped raise my grandson. My favorite is (at the top of his voice), “Mom (or Granny), I had an accident!” This could mean anything, not just potty. One in particular, was somehow catching the carpet on fire with a rocket that I KNOW had the lighting mechanism taken off. How my son ever managed that is beyond me.
Little boys step on toes and when they become big boys they will step on your heart
If there is a mud puddle within a mile they will find it
You worry even more when they are grown than when they were little
The stages they go thru whenn little repeat themselves when they become teens
I’ve been so lucky with my boys! They never (knock on wood) miss the toilet. We had a friend come over, however, and I had to break out the rubber gloves! Ha!
I come from a family of girls and only had girls. Now I have a 4-month-old grandson that I babysit and I loved reading this. I am looking forward to this adventure.
Oh how fun! Baby boys are just the cutest. You have a lot of fun things to look forward to!
Yes, especially to the one about lava 🙂 I have 4 boys, too. Life is pretty crazy around here, too!
So you totally understand! Yes lava, crocodiles, you name it. They keep me busy for sure. 🙂
Great post, I’m pinning this to remind myself later that I am not alone..and yes they are the sweetest and they love their mommies dearly.
Yes, sometimes it is hard to remember that they are so sweet when they are having a difficult day but I wouldn’t trade my boys for anything!
These things are all so true. I raised three boys and they grew up to be fine young men. Thank you for sharing
Thank you
I came from a family of 4 girls…now between us girls we have 11 boys!!! (And 3 girls). It is amazing the difference!! Everything you said is so true! Burning trash turns into a game, not a chore! And yes, no use buying them play guns or swords, sticks are everywhere! My mom thinks her grandsons have broken more toys in their first 10 years than us girls ever broke!;). And the noise level…WOW! But they have a blast together! Praying we can raise them up to be Godly men!
Very cute website, Stumbled upon this on pinterest looking for Childrens Ministry Ideas, I have two boys, ages 7 and 10 and my husband is 51 and I am 46. Yes, we started a bit later than most however adore our boys and I laughed so hard at a few of your “should knows” about boys! Like you, would not change it for the world. I will visit often, now that I know your here. Blessings to you and yours…..Barb
Love your website. I am the mother of 2 boys who are now grown.. They were and always will be the “love of my life.” Both married wonderful, loving and intelligent women who gave birth to 2 grandchildren each. I am blessed beyond words. When they were younger, though, I do remember trips to the doctor, ER, hospital stays, casts, stitches. And then there was the ring worm, hands, foot and mouth disease, meningitis, pneumonia,……the list goes on and on. Laughingly, I remember taking worms of his pockets or coming home from work and the youngest was dissecting a frog on the den floor! Never a dull moment and I wouldn’t trade the memories for a million dollars. To this day, if I need either one of them, they are there. Now THAT is love, my friends.
I just love this! Thank you so much for sharing your memories with me. And it also gives me hope that my boys will stick around when they are grown. So many people tell me otherwise. Hugs!
As a mother of two grown boys I wouldn’t trade their growing up years for anything. My youngest is 19 and graduating and will be gone soon. My house will be empty and there will be no loud noise. Or the quit when their doing something they shouldn’t. The play fighting and re arranging the furniture is over. The whats for dinner I’m starving is done. The mom I can’t find my socks is finished. The taking a bath that wets the entire bathroom has stopped. So from one mom to another ENJOY your little boys because one day you’ll blink and will have raised fine loving young men that don’t need mommy every day! I love you Chris and David!
This made me pause a bit more this evening and watch my boys in their sleep. They are growing SO fast and I just can’t imagine a time when my house is quiet and they are all out on their own. Thank you for your comment. I need the reminder often!
Boys are the greatest, most magical things on Earth! I too have 4 boys! Now ages 25, 23, 20 and 12, so I have been at this a long time. Life with them from day 1 has been incredible and nothing I would ever trade! I NEVER desired a daughter. In fact I like to tell the story that my father-in -law said to me when my husband and I first got married… (as my husband was the last male in the family with their last name) he said he hoped we would have a lot of boys to pass along the last name. DONE! We have never (knock on wood) had an ounce of trouble out of any of them! I don’t know how we got so blessed! I have been told that someone has done a lot of praying for me, and based on the way our boys have turned out, I agree. Thank you God for these awesome men in my life!
I love this so much and it was something I needed to read today! I LOVE my boys! Thanks for your comment!