I never saw myself as a mama of boys.

I always thought I’d be more fitted to be a parent to girls, and there was no other way. I’ve never been a girly girl, so the amount of pink I’m subjected to now with Kid3 was never the driving factor to having a daughter. I think it’s the whole idea of having a mini-me and having spa days and tea parties, dressed up like we’re off to a ball, is what really stuck with me.

Life turned out a little different, didn’t it? While I have the best of both worlds, I didn’t think I would have sons first, if ever really.

And then I became a mama to two of them.

Over the years, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences having sons, it’s been a journey of much learning and possibly a couple of grey hairs.

I didn’t quite think being a mama of boys would be so entertaining either. Challenging, but entertaining.

With every season of parenting you navigate through, there are up and downs to face, and I try to embrace it as it comes. No other way around it really, is there?

Mamas, maybe you’ll like I was the first time I became a mama; hoping for a girl, but having a boy instead. I can tell you, it’s amazing! It’s heart-warming and some days, it’s like trying to cling on to the treadmill while it’s on it’s highest setting.

I find these two quotes to be very fitting as well, and I half-chuckle/half-shed a tear each time I see them because the truth is real! Hard relate, mamas, hard!

Having sons is REALLY not all that bad, and if you look at all the good sides to parenting boys, you’ll realise that being a mama to boys is spectacular.

My boys are now eight and five, and while we still have a long growing-up journey ahead of us, I wanted to share the reasons why I love having sons, based on everything I’ve learned and experienced.

Rough but gentle

While I have seen them wrestling and trying to karate-chop each other when they are mad, I’ve seen a gentler side to them too. They understand that they need to protect their sister, they have the most amazing patience levels with her (I need to get tips from them on this), they understand that they can’t play as rough with her as they do with each other. They understand they need to respect nature and animals, and not hurt them. While them playing might sometimes lead to minor injuries, they have a balance on what is right and wrong.

Poop nappies

If I had to choose to forever clean boy or girl nappies, I would choose BOY over and over. It’s just so much easier to clean them, even if the poop does go everywhere!

Clothes selection

There’s no standing in front of the closet for 20 minutes because they can’t decide what they want to wear. They pick an outfit and they’re done.

Easy hair

No hair that needs to be brushed out, no knots to work out, no special detangled sprays to use up. Also their haircuts are cheaper AND you can just cut it short, without any complaints.

Interesting toys

I’ve been enjoying seeing the toy selections we’ve come across over the years, toys that we didn’t have in my days and watching them learn and experiment with them is always fun to see. Plus joining in to figure out how to build something or fix something (although this usually falls into HB’s field) is eye-opening to how complicated some of the toys can be.

Like my smell

At first I thought it was a little weird, but now I think it’s cute. My boys will randomly walk past me and smell me, then tell me I smell nice. Kid2 does this often, and it’s actually one of his ways to show me he loves me. He has smelled me after an exercise session and still told me I smell nice. That’s real love!

I’m the best chef

In our home, HB is definitely the better ‘chef’, as our kids like to call us. He has a gift for whipping up amazing dishes, far more extravagant than I have the energy to do. The boys still love my food, and tell me that with almost each meal we have. Especially when they were naughty on a day and trying to score brownie points.

Big emotions

Oh, those emotions are big, and they come out in full force. And it’s not a bad thing. It’s encouraged, so they can be understood and worked through. Sympathy and empathy can be taught from a young age!

No cycles to sync

This is one for the future. Imagine if we just had girls, and when puberty came around, we’d all be moody and cranky for chocolate AT THE SAME TIME. I’m sure HB would be driven out of the house for those few days each time. Thankfully, this is something we don’t need to worry about.

Shoeless and dirty

While my kids go barefoot 90% of the time, because they don’t like wearing shoes, it’s a little more ‘acceptable’ with boys. They could have dirt smudges on their faces and clothes, and no one will bat an eyelid about it.

Humor for everything

While I must honestly say, while I’m kind of tired of who farted on who, and who farted the most, they find this hilarious. They find humorous situations in almost everything, they are joy-filled and find humour even in the smallest of things. I’m still trying to phase out the farting part.

Leaving on time

We’re never late with the boys to go anywhere. Again, clothing selections aren’t an issue, hair doesn’t need to be done a certain way. 500 different toys and bags don’t need to be dragged along with us. Breath of fresh air!

Husband’s childhood

When I see HB teaching them new games and introducing them to new adventures, I always try picturing him as a little boy too, trying to get a glimpse into his childhood days.

Cheaper

Boys are cheaper. No hair accessories, and bags, and many pairs of shoes, and clothing in every colour. Heck, I’ve even found that boy clothing is cheaper than girl clothing. Same can be applied to certain toy selections.

Nicknames

You can get away with nicknames. Fart monster, monkey, goofball, pork chop, ankle biter, tadpole. I’m just saying, some nicknames are just way cuter for boys.

Mama’s boys

No matter how much they choose HB over me (I’m not always the fun parent), I know they need their mama. To soothe them, to cuddle with, to share thoughts. I hope they never change in these ways and know that they can always come to me with anything they need.

Being a mama of boys has opened my eyes to a whole different perspective on life; looking at life in a different light and enjoying the smaller things.

Why I love having sons

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Are you a mama of boys? Tell me what you love about them!