Let me Play

Let him play

 

Being a mom isn’t easy. It’s a full-time job, 24/7 for at least eighteen years. If your child is a boy, you’ve probably heard it said that they’re a handful when they’re young but they’re easier than girls once they hit their teens. That may or may not be true. What is known to be true, however, is that young boys really can be a handful. You may find that the early years are pretty difficult, but you know what? They’re not all sunshine and rainbows for your boy, either. He needs to play. Allow him to run, jump and explore!

 

 

Most young boys are very high-energy and become bored easily. While a girl may be happy playing quietly, boys typically want to run around, bounce on things and make noise. He can get himself into trouble, too – just needing to know what’s on top of that high bookcase and deciding to find out by climbing up the shelves. Give him and outlet and allow him to create. Put a puzzle together, body paint, or help him slay a dragon.

If your little boy is of school age, he may have a lot of pent-up energy from having to sit still for long periods at his desk. Smart moms know that the last thing they should do when he gets home from school is make him do his homework right away. Ideally, he should spend some time outside playing, burning off some energy before he gets down to the brain work. Or he could build things with his Lego, play with action figures, or work on a craft project. There will still be times when his inquisitive nature leads him in directions that might be destructive (racing around the house knocking over lamps and knick-knacks, for example), but with a proactive approach, those incidents can be kept to a minimum. Just be alert to signs of boredom, and use the opportunity to channel his energy in a positive direction.

For your boy, and for you, his childhood years should be happy and stress-free. A boy needs a little special handling, for sure. But even the worst days, the ones where you’re convinced that this little tornado is just never going to wind down, will come to an end eventually. And when he’s all snuggled up in your lap, wanting you to read him a story, that’s when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that even with all the trials and tribulations, having this little guy in your life is just the best thing ever. Therefore let him play.