- What if he doesn’t catch that kid!???
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with the rough-housing and horseplay that comes along with having a son. Okay, those are totally 50’s terms, yet I can’t think of a better way to say it.
Girls definitely give us moms a huge mental workout. Mine came into this world with an attitude; my closest friend swears she gave her the evil eye on day one. Those little lasses are often cranky and snippy. They can get catty, jealous and yes, they even fight over boys before they’re out of Pull-Ups.
Oh, she will get her way!
But boys are a different breed. Sometimes they can be so mushy and sensitive, like little Prince Charmings, and other times they’re more like Neanderthals. While my little girl is busily primping in her room, trying on outfit number seven, and attempting to apply eye shadow, my son is out front flying across the yard with reckless abandon, as he tackles a neighbor’s son in a “friendly” game of “touch” football.
My neighbor, who has two sons and a brother, looks on half-heartedly as she files a chipped nail. I, on the other hand, am on the edge of my seat, well, my patch of grass, ready to hurl myself onto the makeshift field at the first sign of injury. Was that a wince? Was that a double- blink? A groan? A sigh? I’m on it, like a ski patrolman on a toboggan.
How can “neighbor mom” be so calm? Does she not realize that this is bound to end when somebody gets hurt? Could an eye not be poked out here?
In retrospect, this isn’t the only time I’ve been uncomfortable with boys being boys. Here’s a list of other boy activities that scare the crap of me
Wresting, checking, playing defense in any sport, playing offense in any sport, jumping off beds, riding bikes over crude paths, roughhousing with the dog, rollerblading without an abundance of padding, and anything that could be described using the word “raucous.” Oh, and climbing trees… did I mention climbing trees?
As a result of my neurotic behavior, one would think I have a wussy little boy who wears sweater vests and challenges grown men to chess. 
I do not. In fact, I have the kid who fearlessly throws himself across a field to pull a flag, tries to make it from the bed to the sofa in a single jump, and yes… climbs trees. That means I’ve done this worrying about my son covertly. I know that if I don’t keep MOST of my neurotic tendencies on the down low, it will affect him in some way that will require therapy later in life.
Why can’t I just let him be a boy without all of this stress and anxiety? Maybe you can feel my pain. Maybe as the fairer sex, the thought of body slamming a friend for sport seems odd. Or maybe it’s just me. I guess it could go either way – some of us moms are filing our nails on the sidelines, while the rest of us are biting them.
Which mom are you?
This is a repost from Momtourage: My Fave parenting site. You can read more of my stuff there!
PS- By day I’m a lifestyle expert, by night I’m a hooker- just kidding – I do this blog. It’s gaining steam, so if you like it please take a sec to share it and check out the right side for RSS, bookmark, email, and newsletter sign-ups. Sooo appreciated, if I can grow this thing I can stop being a hooker, I mean, oh forget it. JUST SIGN UP!
xo
-Jenny From the Blog
Funny! I never had a boy, so I can’t really commizerate. Although, I did have a tomboy and she used to give me white knuckles, as I watched her do all kinds of dangerous tricks with the boys down the street…I guess tomboys are just as bad. Couldn’t leave a comment on Momtourage.
DOn’t think this is just for moms. I too can’t let boys be boys. I”m always worried one will hurt the other. I love the mom on the sideline though. She sounds like fun!!!
Jenny, you did it again. I have the same problem and my hubby says I’m nuts. Now I can tell him I’m not alone.
I have to agree with most the ladies here. Though I’m a sideline mom, I hear all to many moms try to get across exactly what you put into words so well.
Yet again you had me at hello. You always know what I’m thinking and crack me up.
Hilarious and all too relatable.
They can be, it’s just that moms like us don’t have the ability to let it happen. I know. I totally relate. I worry about every little thing no matter how hard I try not to.
I’m somewhere in between but I know moms on both sides and I can’t say one is worse or better, simply less stressed.
It’s hard to be the sidelines mom. It just comes naturally to some of us… it’s harder to learn.
I love the mom on the sideline though. She sounds like fun!!!
Thank you. You always now how to get across what all of us are thinking.
It doesn’t matter how many boys you have or boys you know. WHen they’re your own it’s a whole different world. Thanks for making me feel less alone… as usual.
Seriously, I can’t do it either. Why can’t we all just chill. Yep, that’s what I say to myself. It never seems to work.
I totally loved this one. It’s really hard to understand boys and us neurotic mommas have even more trouble. I know, I’m on top of mine’s every move.
I have the same problem. I’m one of 4 girls and having boys is truly a whole different expirience. THough things could definately get wild in my house too.
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Oh geez…had four kids – two girls, two boys. One of my boys was (is) reckless. He could destroy any toy on the planet. He was actually quite proud of the various ways in which he could inflict damage. He had a “Big Wheel’ (remember those?) and repeatedly ran it full speed into a wall until it exploded into a shower of plastic. I believe that one lasted 3-4 days. He got a big, metal Tonka truck – supposedly indestructible. HA. A week. It lasted a week.
The other boy, cautious, cautious, cautious. And, rightly so. The ONE time he did throw that caution to the wind was in high school. He decided to play baseball. Right field. One day, someone hit a HIGH fly ball right to him. Hell, you could have eaten a sammie in the time it took this ball to come down. He held his glove up and it totally missed, hitting him squarely in the face. The concussion was fun. He threw up three times in the car on the way to the doctor’s office. Ended his wild-child days.
How did I deal? Wine, mostly. And when that wasn’t really an option I closed my eyes or turned away. A lot.
I like your methods. I wonder if those are Dr. Spock approved. I’m sure the old ignore method is a go to. I tend to ignore crying yelling and fighting. Literally, it’s like I don’t hear it anymore… ah, white noise.
Gday! I hope you don’t mind but I decided to publish your blog: https://generation-ex.com/why-cant-moms-let-boys-be-boys-jenny-from-the-blog-for-momtourage to my online directory website. I used, “Why Can