bringing up boys

I am the oldest of four girls. I have no brothers. Now I have four boys. And they are true boys(!)

A lot of people ask me what that is like. I still have not come up with the right word to describe it.

Growing up, I was really afraid of boys. If a friend invited me over to her house, I would want to know if her brothers would be home. In church, if a boy sat beside me, my mom said that I would shove them down the pew far away from me:) Boys were a mystery to me and I avoided them at all cost, until I met Adam!

Back to bringing up boys. When our first son arrived, I was delighted. A whole new adventure and I was quite confident in my parenting abilities. Raising a boy couldn't be that different from raising a girl. Let's just say that Nate paved the way for his brothers. He made a big wide road for them. I was not prepared for the climbing, running, loudness, banging, and their love for a dare. I was not prepared that there would be times that I would have no idea what to do or say. Like the time that one of the boys stomped on a snail. Inside I was horrified. Was I bringing up a creature killer? What would he turn into? Is this the violence that I heard about? Is this what boys do? All of these thoughts were going through my mind. I decided to act on my gut instinct and I warned the lad that he must never do that again or there would be severe trouble. Later on I was second guessing myself and wondered if I over reacted. I  told Adam about the occurence and he agreed with me but then a little while later he said to me "they are boys." What is that supposed to mean?  It would be one thing if I had an older sister who had some boys and I could watch her and learn from her. Instead my younger sisters are watching me!  But I have come to embrace boyhood. I love it. I find myself trying to see the world through their eyes. I understand their need to get rid of their energy (although there are many times that I am praying for energy to keep up with them.) I love how they can have fun with eachother and let their imaginations soar. I love how they treasure such weird things and how small things make them so happy. I know that I have lots to learn. I am very thankful for men like Dr. Dobson and his insightful book "bringing up boys" and to Adam who is a wonderful example of what a godly husband and father is like.  There are times that I look ahead a few years and I get scared. What will it be like when they are teenagers? Will I be able to let them leave and cleave to their future wives? These things can make me nervous, but for now I am enjoying them and I am thankful to God for them.