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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

When the boys were small, I often felt like I was really the mother of puppies. I mean really, when you think about it…small children are very much like small dogs. Communication is verbal from you, physical from them. They wiggle a lot, make messes, and chew on things.

The transition from puppy to person is a slow one. But I love it.

Watching their hearts and minds develop and mature is just amazing, and every now and then I get a glimpse of the men they’re going to be.

TechnoBoy’s sense of humor has been developing over time and his wit just keeps getting sharper. I said something the other day in Hubby’s hearing about how boys being annoying was against the rules and I wasn’t going to have it. Hubby asked, “Who IS allowed to be annoying?” and I answered, “Parents, of course!”. TechnoBoy was right in there, saying, “Well THAT’s always been true!!”

Then there’s the Mercenary. As bossy as he can get sometimes we all want to toss him in a snowdrift, but ask him to help his younger brothers work out a math page and he’s right there.

The Manager and Captain Earthquake have been knocking my socks off lately with their responsibility. Many days their beds are made and the boys are dressed for school without me having to ask. And (don’t tell the older boys I said this) they’re usually superior in their room-cleaning skills every night.

This whole growing up thing is a slow process and there are days when I feel like ripping my hair out and throwing it at them. We’re all growing together though, and as we mature and deepen our friendships life gets better. As their skills improve responsibilities increase, we are freed up to do more fun and interesting things together. The ride gets more entertaining all the time.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who enjoy their children’s humor.