Every day, without fail, I end up repeating the same thing to my son: “Stop bouncing around the house.”
He’s so full of energy but he’s not good at focusing that energy so he ends up just ricocheting from one spot to the other, using up my little bit of energy just watching him be so active. He’s on the couch, then rolls onto the floor to grab a toy. Then he sprints into the kitchen, hugs his sister and runs back to the living room to jump on the couch. He’s all over the place ALL.THE.TIME.
It’s all I can do not to strap him to a chair and force him to read quietly. I grew up with two sisters and I just don’t remember this level of noise and chaos.
Most days I’m struggling. When he was a baby, I dubbed him Destructo Baby because he would just break every.damn.thing in the house. Bottles, baby gates, chairs, you name it.
I try not to subscribe to gender stereotypes, because sometimes my daughter is a handful as well. But my son…that boy is directly responsible for these gray hairs on my head. Absolutely.
I’m quiet by nature. I’m an introvert. I enjoy a good book and a quiet afternoon. But my son is having none of that. I’m five years in on parenting this kid and I still don’t get him.
I do know he is smart and kind and he absolutely adores the ground I walk on. He’s thoughtful and he’s resourceful. Once, he ran into the living room, where I was watching TV, and asked if he could make his dad a cake. I said sure, thinking we’d do it together sometime during the weekend.
Instead of waiting, he went and grabbed strawberries out of the fridge, chopped them up and put them in a bowl. Then he dumped in the whole bottle of vanilla extract, added three or four scoopfuls of brown sugar, then sprinkled flour on top. He came back in the living room, covered in a light dusting of flour. “Mommy, do we have any butter?”
Oh my.
He’s determined and I have to admit being his mother is fun. Every day is different and I never know what to expect. He’s got his own way of doing things and it’s an adventure. I’m happy to be along for the ride, even if I am scared half the time.
Any other moms of boys out there? Are your little guys the same ball of energy and chaos as mine?
Ummmm, are my 5 year old and your son the same person? Cause you just described her to a T lol.
My son is just about 2, and he is a rocketship!!
I don’t think it’s gender; I think it’s personality. My lad is quite loud in terms of talking (he never shuts up, in truth), but generally does most things in an “orderly” manner. My girl however is like you describe: she destroys EVERY damn thing, it’s really maddening. Then my third child (also a girl) falls somewhere in the middle between the first and second’s two extremes! As a result, no peace whatsoever!