Tell me about having a son!

[TTCbabynumber22025]

I'm pregnant and just found out I'm having a boy! I'm over the moon, we have a daughter already so getting one of each, and we've had a lot of fertility challenges, so I'm beyond grateful to be here.

The only thing is, I have no idea what boys are like! I have sisters, and never really had any friends who are boys. I don't have any nephews and all my friends somehow had girl babies. I have DH of course but he isn't a very typical "laddy" type and we met really young so I don't have much experience with boyfriends even.

Growing up, I was actually always a bit scared of men and boys - they seemed so different. I know that's not the case, I agree that clothes and interests aren't gendered and the only real difference is penis vs vagina but still. I'm excited to have a boy but just feeling a bit overwhelmed, so any advice from Mum's of boys would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s a tip I wish I had known before DS was born.

When changing a boy baby’s nappy, when you have unfastened the adhesive strips on the front of the nappy, very quickly pull the front of the nappy down but then IMMEDIATELY put the flap back to cover their willy. This is because, more often than not, exposing it to the air prompts them to projectile wee. If you don’t push that flap back down that urine stream will hit you right in the eye!

I’ll give you three guesses how I know this ….

@ReadySaltedSquares you beat me to it!

@OnGoldenPond 😂😂😂 nods knowingly

Congratulations OP. I have one of each also and my son is now 18. He was my first child and came at a very difficult time in my life when I was losing my mum. I can honestly say he saved my life. I don’t think you need to worry about being a boy mum at all. My son was sensitive, sweet, cuddly, a “softie” and a real mummy’s boy. He’s grown into a confident young man, independent of us all, able to make the right decisions for himself. In my experience it’s not that boys and girls are very different, it’s that society pushes them to be different. Watch him grow and play, let him enjoy what he enjoys and learn to enjoy doing those things with him if you don’t already.
My niece has two young boys who are wildly different - one is a rough and tumble, loves messy play and football. One is soft and sweet, enjoys cuddles and films, crafts and drawing.
Interestingly enough, my daughter had more “male interests” growing up. You cannot predict these things and don’t generalise them, just enjoy your children. 😃

This thread is so lovely. I'm sick of reading on MN ppsters talking about boys as if they are dogs.

My 13 ds is the most gorgeous, cuddly, loving boy who says "love you Mum." All the time. He's so thoughtful and will make me breakfast sometimes before I go to work and buys me lovely gifts.
He can be a bit grumpy sometimes and it's like trying to get blood out of a stone getting him to talk about school.

I also have a dd15 and I'd say just go with the flow and parent for their personalities not their sex. My dd is a very un "girly" girl and all the pink princessy stuff went straight out of the window as soon as she was old enough to have an opinion, in favour of football boots and mud.

With regards to the hugging….

My sister is 5ft 5 and she has a son who is 17 who is just over 6ft tall.

She said that he gives the best hugs ever and she always says that she finds it so magical that the little boy who was once a tiny newborn that small enough to fit into her arms is now big enough to completely envelop her. She says the times she feels the most safest is when she gets her massive bear hugs from her son ❤️

My son was a delightful toddler - very bright and into everything. He was always very loving and even at 15 yrs old insisted on giving me a kiss before he got on the coach to go to scout camp. He has become the most wonderful husband and father and is a superb Primary School teacher. I would advise to always encourage a boy to talk about his feelings.

If you have dd then having a son no different except in that all dc are different and have their own personalities.

I have 2 sons and they are very different. Different parenting required for each.

I don't know why but it seems common that with more than 1 dc you find that they always want different things. Seems to happen in most families.

E.g. one wants 5 guys and one wants KFC. One likes the idea of a holiday park in the Netherlands and the older one wants to go to Paris (this week I presented several holiday ideas). One wants to go out the other wants to stay in. Endless.

I can totally relate to this! I’m very short and already come up to my 15yo’s armpits, his hugs are the best! Xxx

Depends really, all variable. I have both sexes and I’m so grateful for that.

My husband is a stereotypical male. Always was a bit of a lad, no doubt still is, even at 40. Always worked in male dominated fields, played sport for years. Adores his football and has a season ticket along with my sons. They all go to the pub before the match etc.

Me? Total nerd. Always had my head in a book, loved my academic studies and uni etc. Me and my husband were total opposites, when I met him I just really, really fancied him.

Twenty years on we are still total opposite's but it still works. Going off track now but my eldest son is nearly 16 and you can’t really put him into a box.

Surface impressions are he’s a jack the lad. Loves his football, brands and the gym. Is confident with the opposite sex, has a GF, lots of mates and banter etc.

The other reality is, he is incredibly academic,
top sets and has flew through his GCSE mocks, so he’s also a nerd. He tries really hard at school, and will be going to university.

Kids are just a mix of both parents tbh in my opinion, as well as forming their own sense of selves of course. That goes for both. I wouldn’t over think it.

I adore my son. He’s the brightest, funniest, kindest, most empathetic little chap you could hope to meet. He’s just such fantastic company. He’s 4 now and so articulate, I love his little jokes and stories. He loves reading and cuddles as much as riding his wee petrol quad at breakneck speed and climbing trees (and jumping out, just to give me scares 😂). He just needs to glance at any given tractor or implement and immediately knows what it is, what it does, what make it is etc etc. He’s such a daddy’s boy, and basically wants to be my husband when he grows up.
My daughter is only a baby so this may be a universal thing, but it may be more of a ‘boy thing’ in that he is a bit like a collie puppy in that he needs running outside for at least an hour a day or everyone loses their head stuck in the house. We do swimming, rugby and football (his hearts with football!) and we have a pony for the kids as well, and it’s still never quite enough 😅
Your house will be full of rocks, sticks and leaves and all are so precious you can’t possibly chuck them. This is a universal thing though I believe as my niece is the same.
On a practical level, he will wee on you during nappy changes.

Another one here who has a boy who likes to collect stones! 🤣 He’s 8 and whenever I empty his school bag at the end of the day it always has at least 3 or 4 stones in it that he found on the playground that he wanted to keep….. but has no logical reason as to why 🤣

Autumn was the worst as he doesn’t stop picking up Conkers and twigs that fall off the trees and he won’t be parted from them. One corner of his bedroom is like a little nature reserve!!