Game of Bro’s: The Struggles and Joys of Raising Two Boy’s
I would love to have a little girl so I can help my wife pick out clothes, brush her hair and take her to daddy & daughter dances. While we are playing with the idea of trying our luck a 3rd time around, it looks like I am destined to raise boys for the time being.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being a boy dad. Those little guys are my world and nothing makes me happier than to come home from a long day of work and watch them run towards me in excitement with a big hug. Raising an energetic boy in itself can be a challenge but raising two boys is a whole other ball game. So without further delay, here are the struggles and joys of raising two boy’s.
Mom Feels Left Out
A majority of the time, moms and daughters have a very tight bond. Moms love to shop for cute dresses and shoes to match. They teach their little angels how to brush their hair, put on makeup when they get older and talk about cute boys. Once all grown up, they become best friends.
While moms can most definitely have great experience with their boys, it’s just flat out not the same. Eventually, that young innocent boy is going to grow into a man and mom is going to have to compete with her new daughter-in-law.
When there is a house full of boys, it can be hard for mom to connect and relate to the dad & son relationship. Ultimately, she feels left out.
The Third Time’s a Charm?
Raising one kid is a challenge, raising two of them is even trickier and discussing a third for the sake of having a girl is a gamble. I have seen plenty of dads pro-create three boys in a row while some get lucky the third time around and shoot two X chromosome.
While trying for a girl would be nice, I am comfortable with my two boys and would be just fine. But as mentioned earlier, for momma bear, it’s a different story.
They Like to Get on Each Other’s Nerves
Perhaps the age gap has something to do with it but my boys are 5 years apart and boy do they rumble. Big bro feels like little bro gets special treatment and gets jealous because he now has to share the spotlight with mom and dad. So they antagonize each other and at some point one of them has tears, a broken toy or temper tantrum.
There is also that annoying common theme when big bro wants the toy that little bro is playing with. The same toy that hasn’t been touched in months!
Everything Is Mine! They Don’t Like to Share
Kudos if you have your kids trained to share. The little rascals I am dealing with do not like to share. My toddler consistently jumps on my lap and anytime big brother comes around, he yells “my daddy!” The greediness is cute at first but after a handful of times it can get repetitive.
This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
My first boy broke our couch in the span of 3 years by jumping on time after time. He has spilt milk and juice on the carpet and the car is embarrassing. Having two boys who share the same qualities turns up the notch on jumping on the bed & couch. Testing their toys durability until the point of non-repair and running in the house with dirty shoes.
Don’t plan on buying anything new until you have trained your boys to appreciate what they have and understand that nice things cost money. You’ll thank me later.
You Can Dress Them the Same
While they may be one to several years apart, it’s always cute to pick out matching clothes to pretend like they are twins. It’s not always easy to find matching clothes with different age ranges but when you can pull it off it’s worth it.
Monkey See Monkey Do – Little Bro Copies Big Bro
The smaller child usually looks up to their older sibling and two boys are no exception. If big bro is drinking ice water, little bro has to have ice water. If big bro is eating chicken nuggets little bro has to have them and so forth.
The nice thing about this is when your older son is a respectable young man, the little tyke will follow suit.
The negative is obviously the opposite. Just as much as your sons will look up to their father, little bro will pick up behaviors from his older brother and that includes attitude bad habits.
Hand Me Downs – Toys, Clothes, Etc.
The nice thing about having two boys is hand me downs. Almost every toy and article of clothing can be handed down to little brother which saves money in the long run. Cost savings will probably only last until little bro figures out what’s going on and wants his own things.
Heck, if you can only get three to five years of savings, that’s money in the bank!
Good & Bad – They Look Up to Dad
Boys look up to their fathers so it’s important as a dad to treat mom with respect and set a good example.
If they see dad is an asshole than guess what those aspiring gentlemen will turn out to be?
While we are not perfect, we can certainty put our best foot forward and lead by example.
Moral of the Story
Raising two boys is lots of fun and can also be a pain in the butt. I still wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Yes, it would be nice to have a little girl who I will have to eventually protect from swarms of boys. And someday trying for a girl the third time around and succeeding may become a reality.
But until that day comes, I will teach those boys the fundamentals of how to earn respect be great men.
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