The Joy of Parenting Boys

For a great portion of my parenting career, I never knew the joy of having a boy. I was a profession dad of girls. So this whole boy thing has been a new experience in the last five years.

I had always known boys are different than girls. After all, I was a boy myself for many years - still am sometimes according to my wife. I just never knew and didn't remember how different boys are.

So, in order to let the rest of you non-boy parenting people in on the joy of parenting a boy, allow me to share a couple of experiences.

Picture the scene: a four year-old boy tearing across the house. A few seconds later, his 12 year-old sister chasing him through the house.

A few moments pass by and there's a "WAHHHH! She hit me!"

At which point daddy goes to make sure there's no blood and then begins investigating.

• Fact, 4 year-old boy yelled, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!"
• Fact, 4 year-old boy punched 12 year-old sister.
• Fact, 4 year-old boy crying because 12 year-old sister didn't like getting punched even though she was supposed to get what she got and you don't throw a fit!" 
• Apparently, 12 year-old sisters do throw a fit when they get punched in the arm by 4 year-old boy and will chase down 4 year-old boys and punch them back.

Why a 4 year-old boy would do that? You tell me.

Picture the scene: a four-year old boy comes out of the bathroom after having spent some time in there and joins the family eating lunch at the table and begins eating his sandwich.

• Mommy asks, "Did you wash your hands?"
• Boy replies, "Yes."
• Mommy asks, "Did you remember to wipe?"
• Boy replies, "Yes."
• Did you remember to throw the toilet paper in the toilet?"
• Boy says, "Toilet paper?"
• Everyone at the table grossed out.

Why a boy would ever do that? No idea.

Our girls never did that!

Boys! You gotta love em!

The joys of parenting boys...

*P.S. No names have been used in this blog to protect the identity of the boy. ; )