Raising Boys?? - Basehor,KS

I have 3 boys and 2 girls. The boys are louder and more active. My boys settled down more as they grew up. My girls are more emotional. Otherwise, at the end of the day, they're all kids that want to be loved. =) Hang in there!

Boys are lots more physical.
Very active.

I have a boy and girl.

Also teach a boy, how to express themselves and know their feelings.
Do not believe in the 'stereotype' that boys should be strong and silent.
No kid should be that way.

tell us more.

I grew up with older brothers. But only have one son.
Biggest thing I've learned is that it's okay to burp and fart and laugh about it. It's okay to touch bugs and get hands-on and dirty. Mud washes off most of the time.

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we need a little more info as to what your lil guy is up to. I have 3 boys, a 2 1/2 year old and 9 month old twins. so I cant tell you if girls are easier or not because I have no experience with girls. what's going on?

I was told that boys are harder as toddlers and easier as teens. So far, this has turned out to be true for our three boys. Damn, did those boys wear us out before they turned 6.

Be more specific. Is he being crude? Overly active? Too rough? Leaving the toilet seat up? Tinkling everywhere but in the toilet? :)

I'd be glad to try and help. But you are asking a question with out giving us any info. Like "which way do I go now?" I don't know. Where do you want to get to?

Good luck to you and yours.

my boy (7) has been the easiest out of my 3 girls.........what in particular are you having difficulty with?

I have three boys. And ALOT of nieces. My opinion is that girls are easier when they are younger. Boys tend to be more rowdy, inquisitive, risk takers etc. But as teenagers, they are more laid back and easy going. My oldest is 16. And he for the most part is a piece of cake. Doesn't really care about clothes, doesn't get in fights with his friends, could really care less about relationships etc.
My niece is also 16. She has been pure drama since she was 10! Crying over boys, fighting with her friends over boys, hating other girls, gossiping about other girls, obsessive over clothes her hair, makeup, the list goes on and on. She exhausts me and I'm not her mother lol!!!
Boys and girls are definately different. And I guess it depends on the kind of person you are too. I knew as a young girl I'd enjoy having sons. Not that I wouldn't want a daughter, but I'm very laid back and non-drama myself, other girls drove me crazy as a kid and I had more male friends then female. So to me, boys are right up my alley! I like watching them explore, and run, and get dirty! I cannot envision myself w/ a girl in her room playing dress up princess, or having tea parties.....so not my thing!

Have you read The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian?
Boys ARE different and they need different things from their mom and dad than girls do!

are you saying that your husband excuses misbehavior by saying it;s a boy thing? If so, he's wrong. Behavior should be the same whether it's boys or girls. Yes, some boys are more rambunctious and it's generally thought that it's just boys but that is just not true. Girls can be rambunctious too.

Methods of parenting and discipline have to be tailored to the child. There is no plan special for boys. Use what works, whether it's a boy or a girl.

Perhaps the two of you discuss (write down) a description of the behavior you expect for your boys and then agree upon a parenting method. This will probably take several conversations over time. It sounds like the two of you are not in agreement about behavior expectations and discipline. It doesn't matter if the children are boys or girls. They're children and need to be taught how to behave.

I grew up with 3 younger brothers. The only difference in the way we were raised is that I was expected to do girl things and they to do boy things. That way of thinking is on the way out. I do hope your husband isn't such a man. As far as discipline was concerned we were all disciplined the same. We were expected obey. The boys could only rough house until it was too much for my mother. I didn't want to rough house. When we were older I did the dishes and my brother mowed the lawn. My mother said boys were easier. probably because they were less emotional and she had me to help with them while she had to figure everything out for me, her first born.

I have very easy, happy, respectful boys ages 7 and 13. How old are your boys? I completely disagree with your husband saying it's a boy thing, assuming he's talking about stereotypical boy behavior - rough-housing, fighting, being loud. If you give us more information, we may be able to give more input. Good luck in the meantime! :)

My son has been WAY easier to raise than my daughter.
That includes potty training.

I guess it depends on the things you're son is doing. You don't specify.
Hard to tell if it's a "boy thing" or not.

I came from a family of 99% girls and I was terrified to have a boy. I was afraid I wouldn't know what to do with him.
He's easy going, go-with-the-flow. Courteous. Hilarious. Affectionate.
I ADORE my daughter....but sometimes I feel like I really didn't know what I was missing until I had a son.

That's been my experience, anyway.

Best wishes.

You don't really say what you are dealing with so it's hard to answer (?)
My son has always been easier, more respectful, sweeter, better student, etc. I have always liked my son's friends more than my daughters' friends.
My girls are WAY more athletic, physical and aggressive, not only with each other but also with their friends, especially my oldest daughter!
The ongoing drama with girls is also ridiculous (she doesn't like me, she's mean, so and so said this and that, I'm not her friend anymore, she's stupid, she's ugly, she says I'm stupid, I'm ugly, ugh!) I think I would take a house full of boys over a house full of girls any day, they just don't get caught up in any of this stuff (and yes, I love my daughters very much, however challenging they may be!)

I have two boys (16 and 13) and a girl (11). I've found boys easier because they are very straightforward. Girls are complicated! But of course, they are all wonderful.
In our culture, unfortunately, boys tend to be expected to act like girls. They are penalized for being boys, especially in a school setting, where it's hard for them to sit still. That's one of the many reasons I homeschool.
I recommend Bringing Up Boys by Dr. Dobson. Also Wild at Heart by John Eldridge is a popular book about men in general. It helps you understand your husband. Both these books taught me so much about my boys and really helped me allow them to be who they are.
Boys are very different from girls. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! You might as well try to stop the sun from rising as try to prove they are the same! I recommend you listen to your husband's input. He's right!
Best in your parenting journey!

Need some more info; how old is your son? what is he doing and/or not doing?

In the saying boys are easier, I think people say that for a couple of reasons & I may be totally wrong. One being that you don't have to deal with the periods,hair, make up, etc when they get older. Two being boys USUALLY don't whine & shreik as much as girls. They are usually more resilient & just keep on trucking. They're not look at me look at how cute I am, look at me look at what I am doing because people don't fuss over boys like that, normally. Far as it's a boy thing, don't know exactly what behaviors your referring to, but my youngest is what I call "all boy". He's 11 now, but he runs & plays outside, climbs trees, rides bikes, plays in the woods & has always been like that, a real roughneck. Yes, boys usually do like grosser things & like to gross people out or maybe think that a fart/burp is funny or whatever else, but that does not mean they can't learn when it's appropriate & when it's not, but they are a boy & it is in the DNA to be like that. I had two older brothers & I can remember them having fart lighting contests with their friends in their early teens. I never knew you could light a fart until then. There's a book called Boys Adrift, that I haven't read but it was recommended to me because my yongest is a "true boy" and does not fit into the school system well. (I want to read, but haven't gotten it yet) It's insight to how "typical" boys & their "behavior" do not fit into the public school systems and it addresses how schools were designed for "the perfect little girls". Anyways, I don't know for certain that it does, but it may go into "typical" boy behavior & it may be able to give you some better insight as what to expect. I had two older brothers, no sisters & I have two boys of my own, now 11 & 16, so anything you wanna know, just ask, I'll try to help!

I have come to the conclusion that boys must be easier when they are older, because they sure aren't easier when they are little! My boys are animals! They are constantly running, talking, punching, kicking, hitting, jumping, and/or yelling about/at something/someone!! THEY NEVER STOP!! They are just so darn physical all the time. My kids will take absolutely any inanimate (including food) object and turn it into a sword, gun, or knife. No blanket is safe- it either becomes a cape for whatever super hero they are pretending to be, the roof of a fort they are building, or their ghost costume. They are always dirty. If there is mud, sand, or any nasty gunk within a one mile radius, they will find it. They pee in trashcans and bushes and don't flush the toilet (see my post!).....AND, from everything I am led to believe by other boy moms and men themselves, this is all normal boy behavior! Being a boy mom is a very interesting life, and one that definitely keeps me on my toes, but I absolutely wouldn't trade it for the world! There have been several times that I just look at my husband and ask if he did *insert behavior* when he was a kid and he has to reassure me. My mom also works with a man that has 5 sons (man, I thought 4 boys was a lot!), so I will occasionally have her ask him if his boys have done some of the stuff my boys do....and the answer is always yes. I didn't have any brothers, so all this boy behavior was a lot foreign to me at first. Now, there is not much they could do to surprise me.

I think a huge part of the puzzle raising boys in particular (girls do this well on their own) is to keep the communication lines open. Set times to just do what he wants to do regardless of whether you enjoy it or not. Join his world, see what his passions are. We also have talk time in the car, no radio or tv allowed and that has allowed us to have some wonderful discussions. These simple things have allowed us to have some incredible insight into our kids. I tend to be a tomboy so most of the "boy things" aren't too far of a stretch for me. Enjoy them! They are simple creatures! :)

Yeah...not real clear about the issue you are having. How old? What is the problem that you didn't know about having not grown up around them?

My son was very difficult (for me, he wasn't bad, just very busy and wore me out) as a toddler. But once he hit about age 4, he is pretty easy. He is 13 now, and even with the occasional attitude that crops up, he is pretty easy to read. If he is mad, he is mad and you usually know what about. If he is happy, you know it. If he is bored, you know. Very straightforward, most of the time. And loves to give and get hugs at this tender age of teenhood. :)
My daughter, otoh, is 10, and she was pretty darn easy as an infant and toddler. As she got a little older, I noticed she is more difficult to read... her feelings get hurt and she doesn't SAY anything....just notice (however many HOURS later) that she is pouting about something... and it is like pulling teeth to figure out WHAT. If I spoke the least bit too curtly to her while in the car, I'd look back in my mirror 10 minutes later to see her head drooped and all her hair in her face with her pouting almost in tears. But she'd never say a word. (Eventually, my sweet son would let me know: "Mama, she's about to cry").

She is usually very happy and sweet these days, but can be very moody as well. I'm sure we will have our "issues" in the coming years. But with our son, mehhh...I think things'll go pretty smoothly with him. He's a good kid.
The thing about boys being easier than girls, isn't across the board. It is usually stated with qualifiers, like boys are more difficult when little, but easier as teens. Girls are easier when little, but much more difficult as teens. Like that.

Like the other moms said, we need specific examples. Plus, all kids are different. My son was such a demanding baby but he is a wonderful 3 year old. He does get rambunctions sometimes and silly but we tell him to stop and he does. You can't go by generalizations. No one group is "easier" or harder. Often people let bad behavior slide because that is how they were raised. But schools have higher expectations of children than ever, especially behaviorally, and often boys suffer because of permissive attitudes at home. If you could provide more info maybe we can help...

I have 4 boys and 4 girls. There is a difference. Girls seem to be quieter except for screaming more and play and entertain themselves well. Boys are more rough and rowdy and two of mine did everything they could think of from emptying refrigerators, throwing clothes out windows, and many other thing that the girls would never have done. I think the differences are there and you need to deal with both accordingly and be informed and prepared for what is to come. Girls are more emotional but boys have feelings too. There are books out there that may help, I never read it but my daughter did, one is called 'Bringing up Boys' and is by James Dobson. It might help some.