4 Things I Didn’t Know About Raising a Boy

I knew we would be having a boy from the moment I found out we were pregnant with our second child. I had his name picked out before we even had an ultrasound to verify his sex. It was just something I knew deep in my bones. Just like I knew that having a boy was going to be incredibly different than raising a girl. In some ways I was right and in others I couldn’t have been more wrong. Either way, I was about to learn a thing or two. 

4 Things I Didn’t Know About Raising a Boy

1. It is possible to find cute clothes.

With a daughter and two nieces, I’ve never had a problem finding adorable boutique style pieces for them, but I always noticed the lack of options available for boys. So I immediately started hunting for items to squirrel away, hiding them deep in the closet where my husband – who insisted we wait to shop until we knew the gender – wouldn’t find them. While I still found it much easier to find pieces for girls, it wasn’t impossible to stock his closet full of cute outfits. Online boutiques just for boys are a total game changer and now even mass retailers like Target and Babies R Us carry a handful of boutique-style items for boys. Do you know what’s cuter than a little boy in a tie and suspenders? Nothing. That’s what.   

2. It’s not that different from raising a girl.

It’s hard for me to admit but I was more than a little fearful having a boy, even though I wanted one with all of my might. I had the role of being a girl mom down. I knew how to raise a strong little girl. One who was brave and smart. Fierce and loyal. Kind and considerate. But in a world that so tightly binds our boys into a mold of “man,” how to teach him to break that mold? Honestly, I’m still not sure but as with most parenting worries, at some point it dawns on you – for the 1,000th time – that nothing happens overnight. It’s one day at a time.

3. They pee everywhere, everywhere.

One of my daughters favorite stories is the time she received her first bath and peed all over her mom. Aside from that instance and one indescribable poop fiasco I escaped the days of diapers relatively unscathed. It seems my son had decided to take it upon himself to make up for lost time. I have never been peed on so much in my life. I was never so glad in my life to have the Candide Baby Comfort Mat changing pad that actually came with a built-in XXL towel. It seems like every diaper change involves a whole mess of pee – on myself, on his father, up the wall and all over our poor, poor changing pad. The velcro attached towel is constantly being tossed in the washer, along with at least one, if not two, sets of clothing. The only one who somehow remains unscathed is his sister, much to her delight and our chagrin.   

4. He was going to steal my heart.

I knew what it felt like to fall head over heels in love with someone you just meant. I was prepared for it. What I wasn’t prepared for was the difference it is with a son. With a husband, three brothers and a father, I have been surrounded by men my entire life. But my memories of them are only of these strong individuals. Already grown. I didn’t realize what it would be like to love a little man so soft and squishy and fragile.

Product was provided for review purposes. All opinions remain my own.