Last year, I gave birth to my third boy. My husband and I decided that three kids is the perfect number for us, so there aren’t any baby girls in my future. Since I’m not a girly-girl and I grew up with two brothers and no sisters, I feel pretty comfortable with boys. The idea of a girl honestly made me a little nervous.
Sometimes, though, the testosterone in our house gets to be a bit much. As much as I love my guys (the kids and my husband), I sometimes have to shake my head when I think about the decades of burp and fart jokes ahead of me. I also realize that when my children are grown I will always be the mother-in-law; I won’t be the first call to help with wedding plans or to give advice on caring for babies.
But, there will be benefits to being the only woman in a house full of men and men-to-be.
- I won’t have to share my clothes or shoes.
Even though I’m not much of a fashionista and it’s rare that you’ll find me in something other than jeans and T-shirts, I’m still pretty confident no one in my family will be raiding my closet anytime soon. Or, you know, EVER. And my shoes? Mine! All mine!
- Bathroom duty won’t always be on me.
My husband is an awesome dad and perfectly willing to take turns changing diapers, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve gotten stuck changing diapers just because places don’t have changing tables in the men’s room. (Seriously, this is a major pet peeve of mine.) But as the boys get older, they would rather go with daddy to the men’s room than to the women’s room with me. On a recent outing, my husband led four boys to the bathroom while I sat on a bench with the baby. I have seen a glimpse of the future – a future where I will pee in peace – and it is glorious.
- No fights over seductive clothing.
I don’t have to worry about “mature” clothing. My oldest just turned 6 and I know of moms with daughters the same age who are already having problems with some clothing being too mature for their kids. Thongs, push-up bras and uber mini-skirts for preteens are not going to be a problem for me. I suspect I won’t say, “You’re not going anywhere until you put on some clothes!” once all my boys get passed the ‘wanting to be naked all the time’ phase.
- I won’t be heading up the birds & the bees talks.
I want my kids to ALWAYS feel comfortable talking to me, and I plan to always be honest and upfront with them, but let’s be honest, teenage boys are going to dad with questions, not mom. And I’m OK with that. He’s better at those talks anyway.
Right now, I’m just enjoying having little boys – playing with Legos, drawing pictures and playing with action figures. And the kids even throw in a princess or two sometimes for me, because even boys can appreciate a sparkly gown.
