Love my sons, but can't stand lots of boys.....

[legacy]

Well, that's about it really...

I think my sons are charming, polite and mostly well-behaved, but when they're in the company of other boys they seem to become loud, unruly, testosterone-charged little monsters....

We went to a bonfire party tonight at a house where there were about 9 boys under 8 yrs old, and I was just so stressed as I felt I had to stop them from charging around, swishing anything that looked like a sword or gun around, and mass-wrestling on the furniture. To be fair, I think the host's children and others were actually more unruly, but I just don't feel it's acceptable behaviour - felt as if they were trashing the house.
I just dread their friends coming round - it's like I feel hostage in my own home

Oh, OK - just my problem then....

Is it possible to kill a thread before it's even started

legacy no in our families this goes on and with friends
they do try to trash the house but we all put firm ground rules in place
anyone outta line and they get to calm down calm down (in our scouse accents)
wait until they are old enough to swipe the beer from under your nose at get to gethers

I hate going to football related events with my son because of all the thuggish behaviour. He is naturally quite aggressive and "masculine", I suppose,and I feel as though I have managed to bring him up to this point so he does behave really well at school and knows what is and is not acceptable behaviour and then goes to football and everyone else is behaving like a thug, so he does too. Quite a lot of dads take them and seem to be very tolerant of very rough behaviour. I don't know, tbh, if it's my problem or theirs - I get round it by getting DH to do most of it!

I do think some boys do turn a bit monstrous in a group -my DS1 is completely different and I grew up with a much older brother and two sisters so I supose I'm not used to it. I have been in uncomfortable situations at parties when I've felt the host's laissez faire attitude was going a bit far. I suppose you have to do what you're comfortable with in your own house and accept other people have differnt standards - whether higher or lower! My bil and sil make me feel like my standards of behaviour are very low indeed, for example.