"Ah, when is he going to grow up?", exclaim almost all mothers in desperation who have a son ! The exasperation is much more frequent and arbitrary if the mother happens to have an elder daughter who is widely known to the neighbors, relatives, teachers and acquaintances as responsible, caring, composed and sensible.....
An article on Parenting in Gulf News changed my perception as to how to react or not to react at all when my 9-year old little monster practices his spider man-roll on the sofa while his elder sister sulks sitting on other corner of the sofa! The writer of the article in Gulf News is absolutely right in saying that teen age boys are generally under-rated than girls of comparable age ; they are, most of the times, dismissed as and presumed to be a bunch of noisy, aggressive and reckless 'creatures' by neighbors, 'adolescent girls' of comparable age and passer-by, when the fact is that they are innocent, unthreatning,boisterous and fun to be with.
Even though, I have four more years to go when my son will step into teen-hood..... ......
.......I always end up reacting hyper-actively when my 9-year old son just goes around knocking things down or experimenting with the TV-remote or singing his favorite song loudly or may be honing his football skill in the living room. In short, he is famous or infamous for his passion for mischief-making !
.......saying all that, how often do I praise him for his witty comments on petty things or when he hugs me tight in public just to say that he loves me or when he shares his psp with his little cousin or his ability to strike friendship with complete strangers ! His goodness somehow, gets overshadowed by his abundant naughty acts and I often forget that those demonic acts are not his invention but those are actually boy-thing which come naturally to them!
The other day when we went to attend a friend's birthday party, a mother of little boy there, showered him with praises for taking care of her little son so lovingly. Even though this was not the first incident of this sort, because he is continuously compared with his elder sister, he is labeled as a mischief-maker. I too forget while comparing them on "naughtiness parameter" that there are plenty of "goodness factor" in him as well where his sister falls off the mark !!
When I think of his acts and deeds (good and bad), in isolation from the daughter's, I must confess that he is a gem and such joy to be around. Unlike his sister, he can digest praise and criticism with equal ease; he can lead and be led with equal grace. He has given me countless moments to laugh out loud and ease my stress during critical situations with his innocent but practical view on many of life's happenings. He can be friend with a 6 year old or a 60 year old without much effort !
......Aren't those qualities enough to forgive him if he has broken few mirrors with his football kick or if he burped loudly and forgot to say sorry or if he is just a little bit unorganized and forgetful? I completely understand now when he labels his elder sister as 'little boring' while playing with her !
Boys will remain as boys - innocent, child-like, fun-loving; they are oblivious that their stinky socks can drive people away from the room, or that they need to be reminded continuously the benefits of taking shower everyday or that they don't mind laughing out loudly while sharing a joke with friends or that they will always be misunderstood for not being able to express their feelings with right words at the right time.....
.....BUT they will never talk ill about their enemies to others or they will never hurt people around them with 'deliberately chosen unkind words' or they will never think of 'schemes' to take revenge - if they need to settle a score, they will fight like wild bulls but will dust themselves off at the end of it and be friends again!!!!
So boys, don't bother if people frown upon you when you scare them with your naughty antics; don't stop living life and grow up at your own pace even when everyone expects you to grow up faster! Always remember, you are equally adorable, charming, priceless and a mother's pride !!!!! ....And mothers, please be patient and allow them to be boys for as long as time permits. They would certainly, make their mothers proud when it is their turn to do so!
