I’ve talked so many times about being a boy mom. So much of it has just come naturally to me, but there are other things that don’t.
I know things about girls that I don’t really know about boys. I know that if I had a daughter, I could help prepare her for the world of mean girls. I could try to help her not to become consumed with body image.
But with boys, I know that there will be many times later in my boys’ lives that I hear, “Mom, you just don’t understand.” Because, it’s true. I don’t. I won’t. But I will try.
Hudson can be very sensitive. And I do love his sweet little tender heart. I’ve observed him in a room with other kids many times. And I notice the way he clams up when someone takes his place in line. Or when someone snatches a toy from him. Or if another child argues with him or tells him no.
He gets embarrassed. He ducks his head. He looks like he’s going to cry. He doesn’t fight back.
And as his mother, I want to run scoop him up and snatch that toy right back and give it to him. Which just isn’t the right thing to do, either.
But he’s sensitive. He just is. And I know that this will change and he will be less sensitive as he gets older, but I don’t think it will completely go away.
There are times when I want to say to Hudson, “Go back to your friend and take your toy right back!” I want to teach him to toughen up, so he isn’t the one always getting his feelings hurt.
I don’t want him to be teased for being sensitive, but I want him to feel the freedom to be himself. I want him to stand up for himself and not be pushed around when he gets older and kids take on more serious issues and the teasing becomes more relentless.
And mostly I want to teach Hudson what it means to be Christ-like. I pray every single day that he will make a decision to follow Jesus and want a heart like His.
These are the parts of parenthood that I love and the parts that terrify me. I love that Hudson’s little personality becomes more and more obvious through his actions every day. We learn a little bit more about who he is and who he’s going to be. He’s hilarious. He’s smart. He’s quick and he’s sweet. Hudson can be territorial, but he really just wants to have a very good time. He loves to laugh and he is just so kind-hearted and caring.
I love that he is always looking out for his friends. And one of our prayers is that the Lord will put others in his life who are like him. Who complement him and life him up. And I pray that as his family, that we will help him grow and he’ll always know that his parents and brother are on his team, no matter what.
And his little tender heart may turn him into everyone’s best friend and it may cause his little heart to be broken a few times along the way. I don’t know. But I can only pray that we do our very best to show him the Way to confidence.
