Maybe there's hope yet

Ok, so here's the thought. And yes, I've been focusing on boys lately, but this is still new to me. Especially the fact that yes, there are differences between boys and girls. Ok, well perhaps not genetically ingrained gender differences, but temperament differences that we attribute certain temperament types and behaviors to one gender and label it as a gender characteristic versus a temperament thing. So my boy has the temperament typically attributed to boys and men. He gets into everything. He climbs everything. He hits, scratches and head buts. He is radically different from my daughter. Poor me. Ok, so the thought must continue now. I was hoping that there would be no difference between boys and girls (or at lest those gender ascribed temperament traits), but there is in this case. And so what? Do I squelch and try to limit this boyishness in my son? Or do I just jump and dive in head first? Well, I've grown warm to the idea, and now I'm jumping. I just got back from the thrift store today where I bought two trucks and a car. Vehicles for my boy who loves vehicles. I've also been drooling over finding a basketball hoop, thinking of growing our hotwheels collection, and other boy related business. Why? Well, it's so different from what I have so far. My daughter by far isn't a girly girl, which is ok by me because I'm not so much either. But this whole boy thing is a fun new experience. Ok, so not so new. I did have two younger brothers who I lived with in their little boy prime-ness (oh say, 18 mo to 4 yrs). And I did nanny two little boys for 4 years or so. I know boys. For a bit there I thought I knew boys and got along with boys better then girls. And now I'm getting that feeling back and it feels good. Feels like home. So here I am submerging my self in boy. One thing that makes me realize how much I like this new boy infested life is because I tend to carry a lot of those boy temperament traits. I've always been a (oh god which side of the brain is it) math brained thinker (usually attributed as a boy strength), a climber (still remember trying to parachute off my grandparents fireplace mantel with plastic shopping bags), a outgoing, domineering, controlling, aggressive person. So now I don't fear so much any more that my pacifist, feminist, happy-go-lucky will confuse our poor sons in our lovely male, patriarchal, macho society. No, they have mom to look up to. That's right boys. I'm itchin to learn to build a fence, and if I satisfy this itch, it's gonna be mama who's gonna teach ya to use the drill, saw table, and hammer. Not to say that daddy won't, but for those times that you need to observe some aggression in action- it'll probably be me. Assertion? Me. And this goes for my daughter as well. But you know, being a girl, there's a lot you learn about cattiness, and we'll probably have a bit of that between us girls, because I think I do get along with boys better. Sorry dear.

So that's my bit and piece, a bit rambling about all of this, but in the end, I'm gonna dive into the pool of boy and not feel guilty, because I know that I will not be forcing some idiotic macho masculinity on the boys, they've got their wonderful father to help counter that terrible image (with some positivity), but they will have a mother and a father supportive of them in which ever direction they go, whether it is typical boy, or not so typical boy. We'll still get the toys and who cares if they get dusty, we'll just make sure that that opportunity will be there.

:D