I'm Not Raising a Boy

When we found out we were going to have a baby boy, one of the first thoughts I had was "I have no idea how to raise a boy!"

I have a younger brother, but he's close enough in age to me that I never felt motherly toward him, he was just a pest. I'm a girl, a pretty girly one. In spite of my years of close contact with men like my dad and hubby, I really have no idea what a boy needs. So I started researching (which is always my first reaction to something I don't understand). I found blogs online. I found books at the library. I talked to friends with boys. I got some really great information, and some kind of out-there advice.

But I still don't really know how to raise a boy.

Recently I've come to realize something that I hope will help me as I face the next 18 years or so. I'm not raising a boy. I'm raising a man, and wow, do I want him to be a good one!

I know what a good man is. I'm not that far removed from those dating days when I evaluated guys against the criteria of what I knew a strong, God-fearing man was. I'm not trying to grow my son up too quickly, but I know what I want him to be like as a man, and I think that can help guide us as we figure out this parenting thing.

So, while the day-to-day tasks of raising our son may confound me sometimes, I have a goal in mind and that certainly makes it less intimidating! First of all, I want to raise a man who loves God. I want him to be capable of leading in his family and church. I would love for him to value education, new experiences, and people. I hope he is responsible, fun-loving, confident, and strong. I know that instilling these traits in him won't be easy, but I'm sure it will be a rewarding challenge!