Comments on: Boys will be – and should be – boys http://www.themomslant.com/2009/10/boys-will-be-and-should-be-boys/ I'm speaking for myself Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:43:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: selfmademom http://www.themomslant.com/2009/10/boys-will-be-and-should-be-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-18719 selfmademom Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:35:55 +0000 http://www.themomslant.com/?p=3012#comment-18719 I loved this post because even though I'm the mom of a 3.5 year old boy, I always thought of him just as "my kid" rather than defined by stereotypes. But as he gets older, he's so much more of a boy, and I definitely need to tweak my parenting and learning to ensure he maximizes himself in all his surroundings. I hate playing to stereotypes, but I guess there is a definite difference between the sexes and how they learn and understand. I loved this post because even though I’m the mom of a 3.5 year old boy, I always thought of him just as “my kid” rather than defined by stereotypes. But as he gets older, he’s so much more of a boy, and I definitely need to tweak my parenting and learning to ensure he maximizes himself in all his surroundings. I hate playing to stereotypes, but I guess there is a definite difference between the sexes and how they learn and understand.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.themomslant.com/2009/10/boys-will-be-and-should-be-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-18705 Laurie Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:05:57 +0000 http://www.themomslant.com/?p=3012#comment-18705 I'm a mom of all boys and I can totally admit that there energy and type of play wear me down a lot! So of course school is something I am hugely grateful for as it gives them another place to wear off some steam, lol. But as for the school thing, we're lucky that our system isn't crazy academic pushiness. We still have lots of art, lots of gym or other physical activities and learning through activity rather than just sitting still. But still, my calmest boy struggled somewhat last year with a teacher who just didn't do well with boys. She was sweet and well-liked but she was much harder on boys than girls, because she didn't like how they talked or rough-housed and didn't get their humor. It drove me crazy when she would send home a scathing note about my son's behavior that was not at all excessive (and I mean exactly the behavior she described, not like I thought she lied, just that what she described as a problem was just very typical boy behavior!) When I questioned her she admitted "all" the boys were like that. How does that make them the problem then? She couldn't see that maybe her expectations were the problem - not those lovely energetic boys. I can't even imagine how much harder it's going to get as my kids get older and they are all in school! I’m a mom of all boys and I can totally admit that there energy and type of play wear me down a lot! So of course school is something I am hugely grateful for as it gives them another place to wear off some steam, lol. But as for the school thing, we’re lucky that our system isn’t crazy academic pushiness. We still have lots of art, lots of gym or other physical activities and learning through activity rather than just sitting still.

But still, my calmest boy struggled somewhat last year with a teacher who just didn’t do well with boys. She was sweet and well-liked but she was much harder on boys than girls, because she didn’t like how they talked or rough-housed and didn’t get their humor. It drove me crazy when she would send home a scathing note about my son’s behavior that was not at all excessive (and I mean exactly the behavior she described, not like I thought she lied, just that what she described as a problem was just very typical boy behavior!) When I questioned her she admitted “all” the boys were like that. How does that make them the problem then? She couldn’t see that maybe her expectations were the problem – not those lovely energetic boys.

I can’t even imagine how much harder it’s going to get as my kids get older and they are all in school!

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