My heartstrings tugging for the boy

 

If I am honest with myself, I admit that I feel such a pressure to raise a good, responsible boy. I feel such a responsibility to shape him into a wonderful man. I am not really sure why I see it as such a challenge? He has a wonderful role model in his father...I know that. It seems like everyday I am inundated with information on the implications of the "diminishing male" in higher education. And, it is just not education...though, I did just engage in an e-mail exchange with his teacher (go ahead and call me a helicopter parent) for I will absolutely and always be involved in his education. The boy brings home straight A's and is in Gifted and Talented and we are proud, oh so proud....but still I want to make sure that he is being challenged on a daily basis. Still it is more than all that. The boy thing...it is tricky for this mama to understand.

Maybe I will feel that way with Camy down the road but I am not so sure. I think I have a handle on the girl thing...being a girl and all. I guess time will tell on that one.

Boys have a physical energy that is exhausting. The boy plays flag football and baseball and still runs circles around my energy level each day. How to harness all that energy into a constructive manner. Don't misunderstand me...we let him be a child at every turn. We actually are holding him back from joining other activities to keep him from being "scheduled" each and every day. He needs days to just ride his bike, color in the drive way and play with the neighborhood kids.

But still....how to I ensure that he will grow to be a strong, confident, young man? I don't have the answers but just try my best everyday to mother that boy in a way that encourages the man I hope him to be. So here's to raising those boys...