A friend of mine told me once, "I'm not raising boys...I'm raising men". That, for whatever reason, has stayed with me.
What the Mom meant was that she had boys but she was trying to prepare them to be men, husbands and fathers. She felt that if she spoiled her sons rotten, that would be good only if she wanted them to be "Mama's boys" or be reliant on her. If she instead raised her boys knowing how to take care of themselves, then they could be independent. The whole "teach them how to fish instead of giving them fish" concept.
I lucked out when I met Adam in the fact that his Mama raised him right. With his upbringing combined with military training, that boy could take care of business.
To this day, Adam can handle things around the house and make more than cereal for dinner. He doesn't like to do most of it, but it's nice to know that he can hold down the fort when need be.
With that being said, I really want to raise our boys the same way. I don't want them to leave home and not know how to wash the dishes, iron a shirt or make a meal. I'll find myself calling our little girl into the kitchen when I'm making dinner but I need to be better at things like that with the boys.
Just the other day, I walked into the bathroom and there was a new roll of toilet paper on the holder. My husband hates to change it so it was such a nice surprise when he did. I looked at him and smiled saying, "Thank You!"
Looking back at me he said, "You're welcome? I don't know what I did though..."
"The toilet paper roll. I know how much you can't stand to change it."
"I do hate it, but I didn't change it." (WHa?!!)
My heart swelled at the thought that one of the boys actually did it. Sweet Baby James it's sinking in!
"BOYS! COME HERE!!!" I was so happy to find out which one did it as Adam stood in shock beside me.
The three boys ran in and I smiled with all of my heart.
"Boys, which one of you changed the toilet paper roll?"
Christian: "Uhhhh, not me Mom. Sorry."
Ethan: "I didn't do it either! Can we go back and play?"
Preston: "Toilet roll? What's a toilet roll?"
"No Preston...not a toilet roll...a toilet PAPER...oh you know what? If you guys didn't do it and we didn't do it, then..."
Sure enough, Lauren Elizabeth and her four year old little self came in overhearing us. "I did it Mommy!"
And there you have it.
Yes, I'd like to think that we're raising these boys to grow up to be self sufficient men. Men who will know how to cook, how to clean...and who will evidently always know how to leave the "toilet roll" sitting on the floor.
What the Mom meant was that she had boys but she was trying to prepare them to be men, husbands and fathers. She felt that if she spoiled her sons rotten, that would be good only if she wanted them to be "Mama's boys" or be reliant on her. If she instead raised her boys knowing how to take care of themselves, then they could be independent. The whole "teach them how to fish instead of giving them fish" concept.
I lucked out when I met Adam in the fact that his Mama raised him right. With his upbringing combined with military training, that boy could take care of business.
To this day, Adam can handle things around the house and make more than cereal for dinner. He doesn't like to do most of it, but it's nice to know that he can hold down the fort when need be.
With that being said, I really want to raise our boys the same way. I don't want them to leave home and not know how to wash the dishes, iron a shirt or make a meal. I'll find myself calling our little girl into the kitchen when I'm making dinner but I need to be better at things like that with the boys.
Just the other day, I walked into the bathroom and there was a new roll of toilet paper on the holder. My husband hates to change it so it was such a nice surprise when he did. I looked at him and smiled saying, "Thank You!"
Looking back at me he said, "You're welcome? I don't know what I did though..."
"The toilet paper roll. I know how much you can't stand to change it."
"I do hate it, but I didn't change it." (WHa?!!)
My heart swelled at the thought that one of the boys actually did it. Sweet Baby James it's sinking in!
"BOYS! COME HERE!!!" I was so happy to find out which one did it as Adam stood in shock beside me.
The three boys ran in and I smiled with all of my heart.
"Boys, which one of you changed the toilet paper roll?"
Christian: "Uhhhh, not me Mom. Sorry."
Ethan: "I didn't do it either! Can we go back and play?"
Preston: "Toilet roll? What's a toilet roll?"
"No Preston...not a toilet roll...a toilet PAPER...oh you know what? If you guys didn't do it and we didn't do it, then..."
Sure enough, Lauren Elizabeth and her four year old little self came in overhearing us. "I did it Mommy!"
And there you have it.
Yes, I'd like to think that we're raising these boys to grow up to be self sufficient men. Men who will know how to cook, how to clean...and who will evidently always know how to leave the "toilet roll" sitting on the floor.
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