Raising Boys

Raising boys. Look what we caught! Yelled with filthy faces and smelly sneakers. Building brother forts. Racing laps around the kitchen. Superhero costumes by night, oversized jersey’s by day. The unexpected, Mom, you look so pretty, this flower is for you! as you sit without a shower in yoga pants. The sweet folded hands and blown kisses to Jesus.

How much I love these little rascals. How much I hate it when I think I’m messing it up. Those tender hearts that need forming, young muscles that need complimenting.

I’m honestly learning more about myself as a woman by raising little men! Learning how boys long for respect over love, just like their fathers. How they thrive on shoulder to shoulder activity, over the face to face conversations females prefer. How they desire to rise up to the honor and challenges we provide.

Watching other boy moms (not to my own mom who raised 5 & my mother in law who raised 4!), like Monica Swanson at the Boymom Podcast, My House Full of Boys blog, Soul-searching Mama on Instagram, & Mary Hazeltine. Not to mention, the ultimate boy mom – Mama Mary!

Amazing books like:

To all my boy mamas, I’m with you today. In those loud, messy, fierce, handsome faces we’re blessed to be the woman to. Let’s keep forgiving our faults. Pointing them to the examples of holy men. Calling out their identity as strong, loved, chosen sons of God. Fostering their brother bonds, in whatever form they come. Respecting their dad and upholding their own little manhood.

To all the girl mamas, we’re praying for you as you raise those future little women ;)

Veterans remind how quickly this passes. It’s hard to understand when you’re still in the trenches, they say. How soon they become men.

To ALL mamas, we got this! Grace in all. Keep hanging in for our future soldiers that need us.

Cheers to remembering these missing teeth and sideways baseball cap days!