Parenting Boys

I've given up, in some ways, on the idea of a perfect family.  As any real parent might tell you, one of the more difficult things about being a mom or dad is accepting that you can not control what your children do.

Even typing that out is difficult.

One thing I have struggled with tremendously as a mom is witnessing aggressive behavior traits in my children. 

Aggression in children is normal behavior.  Children feel angry when their toys are snatched up by one another.  They feel jealous when a sibling receives more attention.  They feel hurt when they are left out of an experience.  Sometimes these strong emotions cause them to want to retaliate in sometimes violent ways---tantrums, hitting, powerful words, throwing items. 

I don't want my children to use these methods of retaliation.  I want them to own their feelings, to seek solace independently or from me.  Sometimes, having three children so close in age (now 7, 5, and 4) seems to create this impossible situation whereby I must be a patrol guard as well as a full-time baby care-giver to Frank. 

How can I do it all?  Am I even strong enough to be this mom?

I want to do everything I can to protect my children and to prepare them to be amazing, selfless adults in the future.  I want to give this parenting thing my full shot of effort.

Sometimes there are intense moments when John and I wonder, Are we giving enough?  Are we getting this right? 

The finished product is so many years off yet.

One thing that has been on my mind for quite some time now is parenting boys specifically.  I feel ill-prepared to handle the special qualities of energy and emotion-bottling my sons are (so far) prone to exhibit.  I can already see Tom bottling feelings up and hiding from me.  How do I change this trajectory and encourage him to share himself with me?