I have four boys that are eight and under.
I have four boys that are eight and under that are extremely busy.
I have four boys that are eight and under that are extremely busy...
... who one day will all be men.
And I am blessed to be their mother.
Being their mother means learning to let go and let them be boys -- boys that are adventurous, and daring, and competitive, and well, little warriors. I don't let them go wild -- there are boundaries -- but I do let them embrace the boyhood years. And that means forts dug out in trees, and hanging from branches, re-enacting battles in the backyard, and building sets in the family room. There are afternoons spent reading about knights, and the Romans, and learning how to build slingshots and trebuchets.
They have important and valuable hearts.
And one day, a day that will happen sooner than expected, those wild boys will be men.
My prayer is that when they are grown that they will have the tenacity to live as kingdom warriors for the Lord -- bold men who are unafraid to stand up for what is right and noble. Part of this means letting my boys, all four of them, embrace that wild heart that the Lord gave them. And it also involves giving them responsibility in life so that as grown men they understand responsibility and are not fearful of rising up to it.
Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young is a brilliant book that I've recently read regarding raising boys to become men. Let me tell you - I was extremely blessed by the sound Biblical principles that this book consistently draws it's truth from. This book has encouraged me as a mother, and emphasizes how raising Godly men starts at home, and that starts with acknowledging who the Lord has made boys to be.
I'm laughing as I finish writing this -- and here's why -- as I'm typing, my Elijah, who's four, told me to watch his 'mazing double jump. And that double jump consisted of him backing up, running full force and double jumping up onto my bed. He's a risk taker. And that's good.
I highly recommend reading Raising Real Men if you're a mom of boys. I know the book will remain on my shelf next to my bed for many, many years. Now, if you're like me and love the company, Timberdoodle (they were one of the first catalogs I ever read when I started homeschooling) you'll want to check out their boy friendly toys. http://www.timberdoodle.com/Outdoor_Learning_s/1012.htm and if you haven't ever had a copy of their totally awesome homeschool catalog click this link http://www.timberdoodle.com/Articles.asp?ID=139 to get a free one.
Off to build a fort in the family room.
As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Raising Real Men in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.
