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Being a mom of teenage boys

    When I was little and daydreamed about my future family, I imagined having four girls.

    I am the middle of three girls and have always been pretty girly. I grew up dancing ballet, playing house and doing makeovers with my sisters. I nannied for a family of three girls and it just seemed right that I would someday be a mom of all girls.

    But then I had a boy.

    And another boy.

    And another.

    My plan of having all girls flew out the window and instead my life became all about mysterious things like nerf swords and Star Wars and Lightening McQueen.

    Of course, I LOVED having those sweet baby boys. The minute I wrapped my head around blue instead of pink, I was solidly in. Audrey came along to round out our family and bring a bit of girliness in, but before she was here, I was a boy mom. Wrestling, knocking down towers, the fascination with trucks and those strange toddler boy undies – these things became my norm.

    I found out I liked mothering little boys.

    What I was terrified of were TEENAGE boys.

    I often said that I hoped Jesus would return before my boys hit puberty. This mama was not equipped for dealing with stinky, sweaty boys with voice cracks and hair in weird places and the only solution I could think of for avoiding the whole thing was Jesus saving me from it.

    And then the years passed and those baby boys grew up. And Jesus still hasn’t returned. Which means I am now the mother of two official teenage boys with one right behind.

    The smell that fills the car after football practice is shocking. The voice cracks hilarious. The hair and height and strength and massive shoes hard to get used to.

    But the most surprising thing of all is how much I ADORE these teenagers of mine.

    It turns out, I really, really like being a mom of teenage boys.

    They are fun to be around. They ask great questions and want to talk about real, deep things. I like their friends. Watching them play football and run cross country is the best.  And they make me laugh so hard.

    The boys are not perfect and I am not a perfect mom. We have conflicts and emotional outbursts. There have been tough consequences to follow through with (it’s so hard!). They push buttons and push limits and their bathroom is disgusting. They are taller and bigger and stronger than me and half the time I do not get their jokes. It is the weirdest thing to hear a man’s voice in the next room and realize it is your child.

    But it turns out that there really was nothing to be afraid of. These teenage boys are still my babies. They need me and I need them and while I know we still have many years ahead of us, I’m happy to say that being a mom to teenage boys is better than I ever expected.

    I sat down with the boys to talk about all things teenage boy – Fortnite, phones, future jobs, and girls :)

    That was fun. I hope you were entertained by those two crazies.

    I sure love these teenage boys of mine.

    31 thoughts on “Being a mom of teenage boys”

    1. Well, I was just googling “the best white curtain panels” when I stumbled upon your blog for the first time. I love it! And I chuckled because we, too, have three boys pretty much the exact same age as yours! (We also have the no Fortnite during the week rule, and I like it that way.) What a sweet family you have – I’m looking forward to following along as well as reading your other posts I’ve not read yet!

    2. This was great! Your sons are very nice young men, Emily. You’ve obviously done a great job raising them. Please do more videos like this! Really fun to watch.

    3. That was so very sweet and did give me some hope for the teenage years 😂! We’re still swimming in littles over here. And I love that Ethan loves Young Life! That’s how I (and my husband and all our best friends, actually) met the Lord so it’s very near to my heart. The “sexy” lifeguard aspiration had me rolling though 😂

    4. THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!

      I’m a long time reader and this might be my favorite thing. I’m a long time youth worker, so I always love when teenagers have the mic. So good. So great. And I’m so happy to hear that your 15 year old still plays outside. Wonderful.

    5. As a mom if girls, this video delights me to no end. You go! My daughters are past the teenage years, but they were some of my favorites. It only gets better! (Grandbabies, oh yeah!)

    6. Thanks for sharing that Emily! What great kids! I love to see how you interact with them. Our oldest is 13 and it’s been a good journey so far and I’m excited for what’s to come. Thankful to know there’s other parents out there like you, involved and pursuing a relationship with their teens.

    7. Oh Emily, that was precious! I am about 10years ahead of you in the parenting journey and had the same fears of the teenage years, but it really is a time of many blessings as you watch who they become and what passions God has placed in them. I really think that God grows us with our kids as we seek him in our parenting! It would be so fun if you did this once a year to see how much they change- there is a crazy amount of growth through the teen years! Thanks to you all for sharing a peek into your fun family!

    8. “You guys are really good parents!” I’m dying! Oh, I pray that my little guy turns out as sweet as your guys. I’m just so impressed! Now, I feel like we need a post on how you parented them to become these great teenagers…

    9. That oldest son is halfway to being that sexy lifeguard… he just needs a few years and a mustache.
      -definitely not Ethan

      P.S. Love you mom! You’re the double players mom in the world<3

    10. Back in the day it was Halo and Call of Duty … it drove me crazy for a while and then I realized it was just the modern version of hide and go seek … and they were playing with cousins that lived 16 hours away. They turned out just fine in the end … pretty much functioning adults!

    11. They are so sweet and funny, Emily! So nice to get a glimpse of their personalities along with their faces. Over the years we have seen photos of them but never heard them talk. Love it! You are doing a fine job with these young guys and they appreciate their loving parents. You are the “OKest”! Keep up the good work and thanks for giving us a glimpse of your teens!

    12. That was awesome. :) I have a 12-year old son, and I agree he can be so much fun to hang out with! Thanks for the laughs and a little glimpse into their worlds.

    13. This was the best! Two awesome young men that you are raising and loved hearing about Young Life! I work for Young Life and my kids love being involved too!

    14. Sooo sweet! Love having conversations with that age group, very interesting and they are smarter than we give them credit for! Thanks for sharing!

    15. I’m a teacher, and work with kids just this age (middle and high school). People think I’m nuts, but I love them so!! It’s like the whole world is opening up for them and they’re so thoughtful and inquisitive and funny. Your video reminded me of all the reasons why I love these ages – even in spite of their trials.

    16. I love that they are so open and honest with you! That is for sure a sign of good parenting, especially when it’s accompanied by respectfulness and a love for Jesus. Well done!!

    17. So beautiful Emily! They seem so gentleman like and mature! I’m excited for you guys! I loved watching your conversation! I’m not going to lie- she’s a few tears as my heart swelled with hope over what’s to come with our kiddos! Praying that they continue to become young men according to God’s heart! Thanks again for sharing!

    18. “Sexy Young Life lifeguard”– omg that made me laugh.

      One of my favorite high school memories was work crew (dining hall staff!) at Lake Champion after my junior year. Love that ministry!

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