Triple Threat For Raising Boys

If someone had told me years ago that we would end up with five boys, I don’t think I would have believed them!  Right now our boys are 19, 16, 15, 13 and 9 (we also have 3 girls).  They are all unique  with varying temperaments and personalities.

If you are reading this, there’s a good chance that you have been blessed with one or more of these amazing little or young men!  I say amazing because I am constantly floored at how God has so obviously created them very different from women.  In general, we don’t think the same or have the same responses as they do.  They have an insatiable need to conquer, sometimes to the detriment of their own safety.   For example:  If a girl gets hurt doing an activity, usually she doesn’t do it again.  If a boy gets hurt he tends to repeat the activity.  The temptation is to think our boys are just dumb for doing this.  The truth is they are trying to figure out a way to do this thing BETTER (without getting hurt) re-doing it until they CONQUER it!  This is the stuff that makes history…new inventions, better ways of life, new worlds explored.  It’s a gift, moms!

Triple Threat For Raising Boys TBM

I’m not going to lie…that “gift” has put many gray hairs on my head and probably shortened my life by several years.  Numerous trips to ER, near heart attacks (for me), adrenaline rushes, and sleepless nights.  But the flip side is that I have come to appreciate and respect the God-given nature of men.  I’ve learned a lot about how to embrace it and encourage our sons in the way that they are created.

Here are three things that I have learned (and have to remind myself) of what boys need.  I used 3 “B’s” to make it easier:

BREVITY:  Keep your words to a minimum.  Boys aren’t generally good at taking in a lot of words and there are tons of studies out there to prove it.  Somehow,  we think if we say more, it becomes more meaningful, but the opposite is true:  they tune us out.  I remember last year, I was REALLY frustrated with all of our boys on the whole.  I spent at least an hour telling my husband all about it.   Afterward, he looked at me and very sweetly said that I use TOO many words!  The more words I use, the less the boys respect me.  Respect is crucial in keeping their hearts.  Keep the conversations and confrontations simple and clean!  Boys are pretty good at handling ‘blunt’.  They often prefer it.

Which brings me to the next point:

BOUNDARIES:  It is very important that our boys KNOW what the boundaries are.  When I say it’s important, it means that, in general, boys will test the boundaries REPEATEDLY (there’s that conquering nature again) to be SURE that they are still in tact.  There are days this feels like relentless torture as moms because, if we love our sons, we WILL hold that ground. (Proverbs 13:24, 23:13-15, 22:15, 29:17, 19:18)  Truth is, most boys learn the quickest through painful consequences.  Find out what their currency is and use it to motivate them (either by taking it away or rewarding with it) There ARE times I have realized that a boundary I am holding to isn’t a hill worth dying on after all.  God has used the persistence of our sons to teach me better priorities.  I have also learned when I am not enjoying our kids at least 80% of the time, it’s usually because I have failed to keep the boundaries clear and intact.

BLOW-OFF:  Boys are generally high energy and if that energy is not fairly well-directed, they will pretty much dismantle the house, board by board.  Using a routine that incorporates chores and physical activity (especially outside) is very helpful.  Boys are amazingly capable.  When they “conquer” new skills and we praise them for it, they are more responsive to us in general.  When our boys become too ranbunctious I make them jump on the trampoline for 10 minutes, run around the outside of the house ten times, do push ups or give them a chore like weeding, shoveling snow, sweeping the deck, chopping wood, etc.

Silas shelling peas TBM

 

It can be challenging raising sons, but the investment you make into your boys’ manhood will come back to you many fold.  As ours are approaching adulthood, I often find them being my greatest allies and defenders.  They seem proud to call me “mom” and I pray that will always be true.

“The choices, loves, and beliefs of a boy’s mother craft his character.  Mothers are a powerful presence in their sons lives.  This knowledge shouldn’t frighten us; it should motivate us.  Boys need more of their mothers in order to be greater men.  And any mother who follows her maternal instincts, examines her own motivations, and does the best she can, will be a good mother.  Boys don’t need perfection; they just need you there.”   -Meg Meeker

This entry was posted in MomStrong Parenting and tagged , , , on by .

About Durenda Wilson

Durenda Wilson is fairly new to the blogging world because she has been very busy the last 25 years raising 8 children and loving her handsome husband of 26 years. They have two married daughters and four grandbabies. Their oldest son is graduating from college this year and 5 kids are still at home, four of whom are boys! Durenda loves making good food for her family, but sometimes wishes dinner would make itself. She enjoys meaningful conversation over a good cup of coffee. She recently published a simple, mercifully short book sharing her perspective after 20 years of homeschooling with a "less is more" approach... "The Unhurried Homeschooler". She also shares her heart on her blog Simple Nourishing Home, FB, Twitter, and Pinterest.

14 thoughts on “Triple Threat For Raising Boys

  1. Darci

    I love this! I only have one precious boy at the moment but he means the world to me! And while he is only 7 months old and doesn’t need this quite yet I am glad I know this for the future! Thank you so much for posting! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Saturday Smorgasbord: Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Springtime | Pilgrim Living

  3. Michelle Caskey

    Great article! I agree wholeheartedly that it’s important for boys to blow off some of that extra energy. They may not even realize why they are feeling so keyed up – but if we are able to direct them outside to do something highly physical they seem to come back inside feeling much more centered.

    Reply
  4. Stacy

    Thanks for this. I have only one, 7YO, and this gives me some good ideas. I love the idea of getting out the energy by jumping on the trampoline and doing other outside activities.

    Reply
  5. Durenda

    Thanks for all the positive comments. I’m so glad you all found this helpful! Between all of you who commented, you represent the raising of over 20 boys! Twenty boys who will someday be men! They are blessed to have such good mamas!

    Reply
  6. Amy

    I was also so encouraged by this. My boys are 8 and 6. We bought a mini indoor trampoline and it means even on rainy days there is a place to bounce! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Pingback: Saturday Smorgasbord: Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Springtime | This Pilgrim Life

  8. Helen Krahn

    Thank you for this article! My husband and I have five boys (one of each 🙂 ), ages 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20 and I predicted each one of them to be a boy before he was born. They are such a delight! I am so proud when we walk into a public place with all 5 of them behind us and lots of people staring! We have received many compliments on their behaviours, but we do have an issue with one of them, because he is very withdrawn (although obedient), so we’re still working on that and praying about it. It’s nice to see how other parents of that many boys are coping. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Caroline

    I have 5 boys as well… They are currently 16, 13, 8, 6 and 6… One daughter (11)… Great read!

    Reply
  10. Lacey

    This was a fantastic article. I am a mom of all boys 7 and under and I’m constantly working to direct them along the right path. These 3 Bs are fantastic reminders, simple and to the point. I will be posting them on my wall to remind me to stay focused and not overcomplicate my approach!

    Reply
  11. Lillian

    This was a great article. I have an 11 year old boy and I’m always looking for better ways to communicate with him. However, I also have 2 girls. An article like this on girls would be super helpful. Is there such a thing?

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Caroline Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *