Raising a boy

I'm raising a boy. A responsibility indeed. I'd like him to grow up to be a good man, like his father. Even though I may have many dreams for baby boy, I also know and understand that he is his own person. He will make his own decisions. The best I can do is be a mom who is present. One who sees value in living by example.

My position as a primary influencer will probably expire somewhere between 18 and 20. After that I suppose it is likely that I'll be placed in a consultant role. Hopefully the grown up in me will not take offense to such developments but instead realise that children grow up. And when they do, I should also remember that it is ok to allow them to be adults.

Certainly this is no easy adjustment for any parent, as some of us moms are closet micro managers. We want everything done our way right now because I said so and I've lived for such and such number of years so I know better. Really? Well, we might know some things but I don't think that we can confidently say we know better. Because your life, even with similar experiences, could never really tailor fit mine, right? The generational gap in parent and child alone says so.

Is it possible that an often overlooked element of good parenting is a decent chunk of some good'ol humility? Maybe if we step outside of our know it all persona we will find opportunities to learn a little bit more about ourselves and others. Being someone's mother does not mean that your growth has reached its peak.

Our children are here for a reason. Not just to populate the earth and drink up all the milk in the fridge (or in my case, all the milk in my ahem breast). Could it be that we are given these kids for our own betterment?

This is by no means a fresh idea, it's as stale as frozen bread. But an idea nonetheless.