4 Totally False Myths About Baby Boys

I suppose it's natural that many women dream of dressing their real life babies up in frills and dresses, putting bows in their hair, and finding matching shoes for every outfit, even if they will only fit for a few weeks. I was one of those.

When we found out that we were having a baby, I suddenly didn't care whether "it" was a girl or boy; I just prayed for a healthy little one.

And then we found out that we were having our precious baby boy and I realized that I had let myself believe some really silly myths. Let me save you some trouble and debunk these myths for good.

1. Baby boys aren't as fun to shop for as girls.  I'm naturally drawn to pink, floral, and frills. I'm not naturally drawn to blues, trucks, and dinosaurs...at least not until I had a boy. As it turns out, shopping for my boy is totally fun. I love to dress him up in preppy little boy clothes. His feet grow so fast that I get to buy him new shoes frequently...and I buy them to match his preppy little outfits. I absolutely LOVE looking for new toys that he will enjoy. It's actually hard for me to walk away from a store without all the fun things that I want to spoil him with.

2. Girls are sweeter than boys. I have no idea where this myth came from, but I see it emphasized often, especially with stuff that says, "Boys: a noise with dirt on it" or "Sugar and spice, that's what little girls are made of. Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of". Some people may think it's cute, but I think these little sayings give little boys a bad wrap. My little boy is precious. For the first year of his life, I rocked him to sleep every night because that's how he wanted to fall asleep. He loves it when I give him kisses, read him stories, put extra bubbles in his bath, and take him to see animals of any kind. He is noisy, but he is so cheerfully noisy that I love it. And we are learning that he actually doesn't like being dirty. Playing in dirt: yes. Having dirt on him: no. Boys are incredibly tenderhearted.  You can make them feel on top of the world or deeply hurt. Boys are just as sweet as girls, maybe even sweeter. They are different, but equally precious.

3. Boys are always wild and crazy. Ok, boys can be wild. Boys are wonderfully energetic (which can be exhausting, there is no hiding that fact), but they are also calm. For example, my precious boy is calm and cuddly and as sweet as he can be when he wakes up in the morning. He loves to get a few big hugs and then plays quietly for about half an hour. He is quiet and calm when he is eating (and he eats a lot), when he naps, when he wakes up from a nap, in the bath, when I read to him (and I read to him a lot). He is energetic but I think that his lack of fear is more exhausting. I'm always watching him closely because I know that he will attempt things without thinking for a second of the dangers that await, like plunging over the back of the couch head first. Sometimes I think we confuse boys' lack of fear with wildness. It's a learning process for moms everywhere. :-)

4. Baby boys will pee all over you when you change their diaper. Maybe this is true for some moms, but it's not been true for me at all. He's gotten me twice, maybe three times, and it's been well over a year now that I've been changing his diapers...thousands of diapers. Seriously, it's not anything to worry about.  I don't even know why people make such a fuss!



So if you are nervous about having a little boy, or if you are just finding out that you will be blessed with a precious little man, have no fear!  Boys are wonderful. You are blessed.

Check here for a great resource on parenting boys.