Comments on: Will Boys Be Boys?

By: SEHarker

SEHarker — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:48:31 +0000

This is great! I grew up with three younger brothers… they ALWAYS wrestled and fake fought and did all the boy stuff you talk about… However, outside of our home, they were gentleman with pleases and thank yous and yes mams. : ) I am always proud to be with them now (the oldest just graduated college and one is in college and one is in jr high). You can guarantee they are some of the most considerate and respectful young men (not that I am biased)… despite my mom allowing the wrestling etc… Yours will be too!
I am now pregnant with a boy and cannot wait to see him wrestling his Daddy and uncles! You’re a great mom! Love the pictures!

By: buffalove

buffalove — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:58:43 +0000

fantastic post! i have to remember these things for when DS is older…i can already tell at 6 months that he is a B-O-Y.

By: .twist.

.twist. — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:12:29 +0000

I need to be a little more tolerant of these things. We have 2 boys 5 & 8 part time. I have a hard time letting go and just letting them be boys. We definitely don’t allow rude language or disrespect but I often find myself trying to hush them. Thanks for this post, it really makes me feel like our boys are totally just normal and that I need to back off a little. :)

By: T.H.O.U.

T.H.O.U. — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:56:31 +0000

My parents always taught us to respect the words “No” and “Stop”. If the other participant in a wrestling match said that, then we had to stop immediately. We actually taught the same thing to our dog. He will wrestle and “attack” my husband but as soon as we say “all done” he immediately backs off and calms down.

By: Mrs. Train

Mrs. Train — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:42:26 +0000

@sloaneandpuffy: I have heard of that one but I haven’t read it. I will add it to my list to read!

These behaviors also apply to my daughter. She is a tough little cookie with three brothers. Actually the picture with my husband wrestling is my twins and my daughter (my oldest son hates when I get my camera out and ran away) She gets in there and loves to wrestle. She has pretty good sword fighting form for a 1 year old as well. Peter Pan and jake and the neverland pirates really bumped up their sword fighting desires but they have been hitting stuff with sticks since they could walk.

By: Mrs. Train

Mrs. Train — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:38:00 +0000

@mewtill: we have been working with my oldest on this exact thing. We had to teach him that wrestling and play fighting is only allowed at home not school. We also had to teach him how to engage other kids, like walking up and saying “hey want to play chase?” Instead of hitting and screaming “you can’t catch me.”

@Katm558: we have rules of war in our house. If they break a rule during rough house or play fitting the get removed from the game. If they misuse a toy sword or gun they loose it and have to sit out for a bit. Sitting on the couch and watching their siblings have fun Totally bums them out and is usually enough to stop the behavior for a bit. It they throw a tantrum they have to go to their room.

@hideandseek: if I was that mom I would be angry too. We have had discussions with them about when and where that kind of play is acceptable. If my children ever continued something once asked to stop I would step in for sure and stop it.

@honeybear: heart stopping aerial moves are my husbands specialities. Usually followed up by him telling me to relax he won’t drop them.

By: mamamama

mamamama — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 04:31:13 +0000

Seems to me that these fun behaviors apply to boys and girls. As a kid, I loved roughhousing with my Dad and the fantasy play of making forts. And now, as a mom to a 2 y.o. girl, I see how she adores these same activities. I’m not into sword play, personally, but maybe that’s because I haven’t shown my daughter Peter Pan yet…

By: sloaneandpuffy

sloaneandpuffy — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:36:55 +0000

I cannot recommend this book enough: “Raising Cain,” by Michael S. Thompson. Everything I know about parenting a boy I learned there. It’s simple to think, “boys are easier,” since they seem so straightforward and obvious with their aggression and behavior. But behind “boys will be boys” there is just so much going on.

By: matador84

matador84 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 02:29:42 +0000

cute post. love my little boy and manners top out my list of things to teach him!

By: honeybear

honeybear — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:51:34 +0000

My approach to my 2 yo is basically the same as yours. I plan to raise a gentleman. The sticks around here are fishing rods, not swords, at least for now… ;) But yeah, lots of wrestling (while shouting “Tackle!” and “Argh, scrum!”) and jumping off stuff. Oh yeah, and aerial maneuvers facilitated by my husband that make my heart stop. But there are boundaries. So while it is sometimes a three-ring circus around here, it doesn’t get out of hand.