Letting boys be boys

I have the privilege of raising two teenage boys, one 14 and the other 12. They are so different in every way.

One loves movies, video games and footy. He enjoys to just hang out in his room in his own world. My other son, the 12-year-old, loves skateboarding, skateboarding and skateboarding. He adores being around his friends all the time. Sometimes my husband and I feel at a loss trying to keep one step ahead of them – we are learning as well.

Recently, my two boys attended a footy training event. It had been raining for several days prior, so the ground was wet and muddy, just wonderful for them to play in. I had also booked movie tickets for the boys and their two friends that afternoon and when I arrived to pick them all up, I just had to laugh out loud. They were absolutely filthy but looked totally happy.

I was so pleased to see them smiling and having a ball. It made me wonder if boys these days don’t get the chance to do this kind of thing often enough. I didn’t even mind having to dash home for them to shower before the movies.

I love my two boys so much and I realise they are very different young men with different likes and dislikes. It is amazing to watch them grow and I am looking forward to seeing them become the best young men they can be. There is so much potential in them both to be great husbands and fathers.

I am just as much to blame as other mums for not letting my boys get stuck into things as much as they might like. Maybe it’s because of the washing, or not wanting them to get hurt, but let your boys be boys. Let them get down and dirty, they love it! Boys need this stuff in their lives. It’s a crucial part of their development.

I have a 10-year-old daughter and she would also love to get out there in the mud. Girls need this stuff too.

So today, let me encourage you to let your kids be kids. The mud and the grass stains will wash away, but the fun they experience and the memories you create will stay with them forever.

Love Bea