Raising Teenaged Boys...

Never has the phrase "it takes a village" been more clear to me than it has been this week. Raising teenaged boys is TOUGH. When I say raising teenaged boys, I don't mean just the ones I birthed. I mean the ones I teach, the ones my boys hang out with, and sometimes, random ones I see out and about.

Teenaged boys frustrate me, make me laugh, make me proud, and make me want to scream. Teenaged boys are annoying, aggravating, obnoxious, loud, irresponsible, brain dead and hopeless! Oh my gosh! Did I really just say that? Yep. Do I mean it? Only about every other day! However, I learn something new about teenaged boys all the time. I learn something new about MY teenaged boys all the time.

Teenaged boys are sweet, caring, giving, sensitive, observant, pleasers, tough, ambitious, and excited. Do I mean that? Only about every other day. Why am I saying all of this in the same blog? Because I experience all of this every day. Let's take yesterday for example.

I went to work like I will every day for the next nine months. From the same student, I get harassed, pouted at, and hugged. This same student also whined about having to move from the back of the room, complained about having to do work on the second day of school, did that work, turned it in, and hugged me as he walked out of class. Hormones, much???

When I came home, I learned that my sons have a lot of character. They didn't tell me this. I got the story third hand from their grandma. The two big boys had been at the home of a friend. This friend was having a temper tantrum and saying some ugly things to his mom. Imagine my surprise when I am informed that these two children I gave birth to are turning into men. They stood up to their friend. They told him to "knock it off" and "have more respect for his mom". I wanted to weep for joy. How many of us have gone along with the crowd or kept our mouths shut for fear of losing a friend or the respect of a coworker for actually speaking our minds?

Later last night, the boys had two friends over, they camped out in the back yard. They had a fire pit set up. One of the big boys took the dogs out for a walk and the little one comes in with the dogs. Where are the big boys??? They, all four, decided to go to the grocery store. WHAT?! When, who, how did they get permission? I wasn't informed, nobody was informed. So, when all four boys return on their bicycles, all four boys are met by a mad mama! Me!

Did I tell them off? Yep! I asked each how old he was. I then asked which one of them was the adult who decided they had permission to go to the store. I don't have a problem with the going, it's the going without permission. They ALL knew I was upset. They ALL admitted (without prompting) it was irresponsible and disrespectful of them to do. I gave them all instructions and they all said, "Yes ma'am." Later, when I went to tell them the door was being locked and I was going to bed, I got four goodnight hugs.

Bottom line, raising teenaged boys is tough. No matter who gave birth, we ALL need to raise them to be men. Not only is it tough. It is rewarding. It is gratifying to see them grow and change. It is amazing to see little pieces of the men they are to become. And, there is no feeling in the world like a little boy who is bigger than you wrapping his arms around you for no reason at all.