Until recently, I’ve been all-girl. Though I married a boy, he’s still a wonderful mystery to me. I grew up with three sisters. For the past six years, I’ve been having tea parties with our 2 daughters. So, I consider myself a novice when it comes to boys. Last July, our son was born. Overnight, I became an avid MOB reader. As a new MOB writer, I offer my nostaglic observations from the beginning of “It’s a Boy!”
Here’s what I notice so far: the boy thinks he is only his eyes.
As soon as Malachi could prop himself up on his Leapfrog Garden, he demonstrated that if he saw something with his eyes, he’d go for it. It doesn’t matter that he has an entire body to account for. It doesn’t matter that he has an adorable head to bonk or a precious nose to smoosh! If he sees something interesting, he flings himself into it (and eats it). The girls never ever ever moved like that boy moved the first time he wanted to eat a plastic frog. If the girls saw something that they wanted, they paused, moved one foot and then another, reached one hand out to touch the object, and then – if the coast was clear – would proceed to explore the item. Not the boy. He saw; he lunged; he ate. I hadn’t thought about the word headlong since a sixth grade vocabulary quiz; now it comes to mind every day.
I can see how this is a huge advantage in life – talk about courage! I can also see how this requires many trips to the emergency room.
So, Momma, do you see headlong in your home? Have mercy on this newbie and flood the comment section with lots of advantages to this (wince) amazing ability…
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Headlong is a great word for it! My six year old is rarely still and when he’s in motion, he reminds me of the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Toons.
His current favorite thing to do is to use our couch as a piece of gymnastics equipment. Positive – he learns from his crashes and though he continues to crash, it’s not usually the same way twice 
. Welcome to the fun of the Boy World!
Thanks, Cari! I like the world so far.
Laura´s last [type] ..I Notice a Gender Difference!
The baby is so cute! I love the post you have here and I want to share this as well…
Gabrielle´s last [type] ..How To Stop Tinnitus
Absolutely perfect word. I swear my boys say “why walk when you can run, why sit when you can climb, why whisper when you can yell” My oldest (2 1/2) jumps full strength off the climbing jungle we have in the back yard. Unfortunately he’s forceful and can’t stick the landing and ends up head first into the ground. But with this headlong attitude also comes “toughness” He’s constantly jumping up from every injury to say, “I ok, I tough” Where my girls would have been in tears, required ice, a kiss, and a bandaid!!
Allison´s last [type] ..5 Things to Know
Yes, ABSOLUTELY! Our boy is 6 now, and he STILL continues to explore everything with his entire body (and has the bruises and the bumps to show for it)
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My girl, who just turned 3, is very cautious in comparison….I haven’t figured out yet if it’s just a gender thing, or more of a personality thing. (though knowing more boys close in age to my son, I’m leaning toward it being a gender thing!)
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I have 4 boys: 6 1/2, 5, 3, and 11 months!! They are ALL BOY and all headlong personalities! It’s definitely exhausting and fascinating at the same time. I cringe some days and I wonder and thank God every day that we have not (yet) been to the ER or had stitches, broken bones, etc. But I feel like the “big one” is coming, as my boys daily jump from higher and higher things, wrestle (not caring that there’s brick or tables or whatever nearby), sword fight, run full speed down hill on gravel, climb things not meant to be climbed, etc. Oh, the things our future holds! Yet at the same time I’m SO excited to see the boys and men they become! To see these personalities in 10-20 years will be beautiful! =^) Now if God ever drops a girl in my lap, THEN I’ll be out of my league! ha ha!
I’ve got two boys. One of them is more “headlong” than his brother (or his older sister). He’s also very charismatic, creative and smart. He’s a deep thinker and an entertainer. We’ve said for years if we can grow him to use his personality for good–there is no telling what God will accomplish through him. He’s 9, so we’re still training!
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I was exactly in your shoes…going from a household full of girls (besides my husband of course LOL) – 4 daughters, and 2 cats! In Feb 2010, I became a mommy to a BOY. By the time he was a couple days old, all of my girlfriends started asking me “So…what’s it like having a boy now?” And I thought…well, he has different private parts and thats about it. The newborn stage was actually not that different from my girls. But by about 6 months old, the changes definitely started showing their head! He powered through everything he was trying to learn – he was so eager to get places faster that he learned to walk at 9 months! I was NOT ready for that.
Now at almost 2, He growls, he vrooms, he yells at the top of his lungs, he raises his arms up in victory when he does something great. He gives high fives and ‘knuckles’, and has a constant bruise or scrape on his forehead. It’s fascinating to me watching this little person that is already so mechanically inclined (he MUST take things apart, or study them to see how they work), so fearless. And like you said – I foresee trips to the ER in our future (I just hope they don’t come for a long time).
I have 3 boys (ages 3, 22 months, and 11 months). My oldest two were LAZY in terms of moving. Like not rolling until 7 or 8 months, not crawling until 9 or 10 months and walking well after their first birthday. My youngest? He spent 9 days in the NICU after being born via emergency c-section at 36w6d. ever since he got home, he’s been moving, awake and ready to go at all times. He’s my hardest to get to sleep (still not sleeping good at nighttime), and my earliest mover. Rolling at 4 months, low crawling at 6 months, high crawling at 9 and walking full time at 11 months old. if he wants it, he goes and gets it! He’s headlong all the way! Dont’ get me wrong, I’ve been the the ER for head staples with my oldest, and my personal favorite ER trip–to get the SHOWER DRAIN off my middle son’s pointer finger…
Kassi – the shower drain?! That’s hilarious. Oh, boy…
Laura´s last [type] ..I Notice a Gender Difference!
Those oddities are almost a badge of honor in boyworld! Lol My favorite was going in to have a popcorn kernel removed from a nostril. No one warned me that those things swell, when in moist little nosies. It has become one of their favorite stories to entertain company with.
Yep, headlong and headstrong!
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Our twins love to randomly do ‘trust fall’s without warning.when they are near me. In an effort to keep heads from hitting the floor, I cannot tell you how many items have been spilled or broken. Of course, the munchkins get up and do it all over again.
HeatherB´s last [type] ..But which one am I?
My boys are 9 and 10 and headlong is the perfect word! The oldest is more cautious, but will follow his younger brother into almost anything.
I believe wholeheartedly that God created men to be pursuers, protectors and adventurers, so it makes sense to me that their personalities and inner selves drive them headlong. And yes, this does mean ER visits sometimes, tears and bruises (when it is serious!), and they don’t often get hurt doing the same thing twice.
Couched with removable cushions become pillow fights in an instant, tile floors? no problem throw down an area rug and you have a wrestling match! Oh my! The world of headlong boys is wonderful! Enjoy!
Every boy is different ,& with mine it seems ,each is a little more fearless than the last! They turned my world upside down & its been a thrill ride ever since. I have seen the ER more times than I can count. I have seen endless numbers of stitches, broken bones, teeth knocked out, plastic surgery for facial wounds, third degree burns, and more lost finger & toe nails than I care to admit. However, the only thing that surpasses my gang of boys’ amount of courage is their ability to love. Boys are fiercely loyal, quick to hug(although it must never be done in public), and absolutely their Mama’s right-hand-man & protector. Boys are life’s most amazing adventure. Watching mine mature into young men is both rewarding & heart wrenching. I am proud of the men they are becoming, but will forever miss the boys they have been. LOVE MY WILD MEN!
Girls – did any of you read Ann’s post today?! Talk about a glimpse right around the corner: http://www.incourage.me/2012/01/what-a-parent-wants-to-say-before-a-child-leaves.html
Laura´s last [type] ..I Notice a Gender Difference!
I cried the entire time. Awesome post! <3
are you sure you weren’t talking about my son Franklin? he doesn’t go after anything. he THROWS himself at EVERYTHING! he’s 2 1/2 now and runs full tilt at whatever it is that is on his little beautiful mind. i wince and cry with relief when he misses corners by 1/2 an inch or stops just shy of a bloody forehead (his 1 1/2 yo sister beat him to stitches)! i almost can’t take the heart attacks! HOWEVER he is the most fun and handsome and imaginative and inventive boy i have met, ever. i love this bundle of legs and elbows and kisses and hugs until death and back.
but i have realized that Franklin has the innate ability to know where his little body ends and where the innocently dangerous (fill in the blank) begins, and i thank God for it multiple times a day. and i thank Him for giving me this new and wonderful creature.
i have 4: b, g, b, g. but Franklin is the only one who will make a living off of destroying and rebuilding. he will either be a demolitions expert or James Bond as far as i can tell!
love your boy and let him RUN!
Very funny! I’ve wondered what raising girls is like (4 boys, no girls – unless you count the pets). I don’t know what I’d do with dainty little things? That’s left to calmer mom’s than I.
You asked what the advantage is? Why brave adventure of course!
You have your own little brave hero right in your very arms! He can slay the dragon, scare the monster, defeat the enemy and keep the bad guys away while dad is at work. His sisters should be proud – they have such a brave “prince” in their midst, to rescue them. You are raising tomorrow’s leader, defender, husband and dad.
If he thought about it, before he did it, he’d never do it. No dragon would be slayed, monster frightened, enemy thwarted, bad guys kept at bay or princesses rescued.
And yes – it’s exhausting! While mothers of girls earn their grey hairs in ways I’ll never fully know; mothers of boys earn their grey through emergency room visits, torn clothing that they just bought, energy that never seems to end and idea’s that you (or they) can never fully explain. (Yes eggs really do explode in the microwave!)
Brave adventure – your in for a great one!
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Your baby boy is really adorable. There’s always a first time and you can learn a lot from a first time experience. How old your boy now? I bet he’s really so cute.
Thanks for this post! It’s very inspiring for moms out there.
-Therese
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