Top Tips for Raising Happy Boys
I remember the slight panic mixed in with extreme happiness I felt when I was told that I had just had son. Having always been quite a girly girl and having a sister I had no idea what to do with boys. Yes I had been a teacher for years so knew what to do with them in the classroom but as a Mum this was a whole new world for me! However the moment I looked at my gorgeous son I knew I would learn, or make up what I didn’t know, quickly!
Having now been blessed with another son I feel really strongly about telling the world how fab it is to have sons. Too often I hear “Boys will be Boys” or “He’s a typical boy” in a derogatory manner. Here are some ways to get rid of these negative connotations and make your sons shine:
*Always carry snacks. Active play can make kids hungry and when they are hungry they are more likely to behave badly. You can blame the testosterone for this!
*Show an interest in their hobbies. OK so you might not be into football, the Xbox etc but they are and by showing an interest you can engage in lots of great conversations with them. My friend, who has 3 lovely sons, started reading Minecraft books recently so she wasn’t left out of all their chat. She is now a huge fan herself!
*Don’t ask boys how school was. They will answer you “fine” or “OK”. If you phrase it, “Tell me 2 things you did at school today?” You will instantly get a much better response from them. Boys tend to love facts and challenges. By phrasing it this way you are giving them a challenging and in return they are giving you facts back.
*Let them take risks! They need to be exposed to scissors, knives and matches. This will help them to practice risk assessment. You won’t be there with them always so show them how to use all these items in a safe, controlled manner. (I’ve got a lovely personalised pen knife that you could give them for a birthday present)
*Teach them that it’s OK to show their emotions. Yes big boys do cry and there is nothing wrong with that. Give them plenty of hugs and show affection so that they learn it is totally acceptable to do this in public.
*Encourge role play. Dressing up is not just for girls. Not only is role play great fun, it really expands your son’s imagination which will help him in his writing, language development and social skills. Give him props – old clothes and random items such as an old phone, boxes and a sheet and just sit back and see all the amazing creativity that will develop.
*Don’t compare your son to girls or indeed other boys. They are all different. They grow, learn and mature at different ages and stages and that is absolutely fine. So what if another child is better at Maths, in a higher reading group that your child, it really doesn’t matter. Too often we get really hung up on these kind of things but in the real world they will be absolutely fine.