10 Tips on Raising Boys (& Girls Too!)

When Charity over at The Wounded Dove asked us what advice we’d give to other moms with kids our kids’ ages, I groaned. How was I supposed to write about that? Which kid’s age should I choose? Should I choose all? Writing about their laundry for Charity’s link-up took two posts one about the 84 pair of socks I folded (get a life mama!) and one about all of the other stories I would write about if I wasn’t so busy actually doing laundry (who am I kidding?)

I couldn’t imagine there were too many other moms whose summer responsibilities this summer included finalizing kindergarten registration and scheduling college campus visits.

At times like this, I was glad to be the mom of all boys. At least I didn’t have to come up with words of wisdom for both genders!

But that brought me up short…

Words of Wisdom?

I really have few words of wisdom. In fact, the older I get and the more kids I have, the more I realize I have less and less actual Wisdom.

Which brings me to my

Advice to Moms of Boys (and Maybe Girls Too!)

1. Admit you Know Nothing – your family will be pleasantly surprised when you do offer a pearl of wisdom. Pleasant surprises are much better than stormy eye rolls when things go wrong. Besides, I’ve discovered I really know nothing. No, seriously, I don’t and when I forget this, my kids are good enough to remind me of it!
2. Laugh Whenever Possible – Don’t take life too seriously. Choose your battles. LET IT GO! Most of the stuff we nit pick about isn’t really stuff at all. It’s little things. Save your battles for big things (Like leaving the toilet seat up!)
3. Pray Unceasingly – Pray to start the day (Ever read The Difference? You should!) Pray throughout the day. Pray on your knees. Pray as you stand at the kitchen counter to make all 11 sandwiches before school. Pray for those whose clothes you’re folding. Pray by reading the Bible. Pray even though it sounds imperfect to you. Do you love your children less when they stutter? Most importantly pray with your heart in front of your children.
4. Payback is AWESOME – You know that rubber band trick on the kitchen sink sprayer? How many times did I fall for that one??? I haven’t come up with legal methods of payback for that one, but I’m sure AWESOME will be the least of my emotions when I finally get an idea (Feel free to send me any payback ideas you’ve got – I’m all about payback when my children’s practical jokes are concerned!)
5. Be Human – Let your children see you make mistakes, cry, fall down, dance horribly and sing even worse, ask forgiveness, and always let them see you believe in a better tomorrow. Believe it yourself too!
6. Stop Judging – Stop judging other moms. Stop judging other women, men, old people, young people, even the Pope for crying out loud! Stop judging your parents, your children, your husband, and yourself. Stop judging God when things don’t go your way at a time convenient for you.
7. Stop Accepting – Totally different from stop judging. Stop accepting means stop settling for less from your children, from your loved ones, from yourself. Be careful. It doesn’t mean judge or demand. It means stop accepting less than you were made to be.
8. Hang With Those Who Will Take You Where You Need To Be – We talk to our children about choosing wise friendships but often think we are strong enough to resist the pull of negative forces. Are you? (Not judging. Just questioning 😉 )
9. It Will Always Be There – The clothes, the laundry, the mess on the counter, the goo that you can no longer identify in the refrigerator, the weeds in the garden, the lollipop (or egg salad sandwich – true story!) under the back seat of the minivan. Let it go and relax, have fun, hug your children.
10. You’re Gonna Miss This – No matter how much you dislike this stage (the day-night reversal, the toilet training, the mean girls, the first broken heart, the my-son-took-the-car-and-it’s-raining-and-he-should-have-been-home-by-now, the liberal college influence…), no matter how much you love this stage (the first sleepy, eyes rolling back in the head, smiles of newborn bliss, the belly laugh of a toddler, the crumpled dandelion bouquets brought to you in sweaty little fists, the “Hey Mom, I got accepted into…” the symbolic moving of the tassel from one side of the cap to the other…) No matter how good or bad life is at the time, there is a purpose. Don’t unravel the string of time too quickly. Enjoy what each step has to offer.

Laugh because there’s Joy in every moment.

Live because you only get one shot.

Love because you are Loved.

God Bless…