For 6 years, I’ve indulged in bows, frills, princesses & sparkly things.
A few weeks ago, I found out that I am having a boy!!!!
I’ve always wanted a son, and I look forward to the new dynamic he will add to our household.
However, as the oldest of 4 (and the only girl), I know that parenting a boy comes with a different set of joys and challenges–even a different parenting mindset.
Here are a few ways that I am preparing to bring home a baby boy:
Challenge Gender Norms
When my girls were little, this was important to me too. I made sure that their wardrobe had a variety of colors, not just pink. I also made sure their toys were balanced with primary colors, cars & STEM friendly stuff.
I plan on doing the same with my son. Having sisters will help teach him how to be loving and nurturing, not just tough and strong.
Teach Him to Respect Women
This is huge for me. This should be pretty easy for my sweet boy because he will be outnumbered! All jokes aside, there have been too many instances where women have been sexualized and devalued. I’m going to raise my son to treat ALL women the way he’d want his sisters or I to be treated.
Teach Him to Smash Gender Stereotypes
Our society places so much emphasis on teaching girls self-love and self-respect, that boys often get left out.
We expect them to be masculine, hide their emotions & “not be sissies.” When they hurt, they are often told to “man up” or “get over it.”
I want my boy to feel comfortable expressing his range of emotions and not feel like less of a person if he hurts. I hope that he can learn that his gender is only 1 part of who he is, but it doesn’t have to define who he is or what his interests have to be.
Understand His Needs
Growing up, I remember that my brothers were always busy. Busy building things (then smashing them), play fighting, wrestling, running, jumping–you name it, always in motion.
My girls are pretty busy too. Or at least I think so until I have a playdate with my friends with boys. Then I realize just how different they are.
Neither is better than the other, just different. Recognizing that my children have different needs will help me to not have unrealistic expectations of them-especially my son as I’m sure it will be easy to compare him to his sisters.
Boy moms, what advice do you have for me??
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