When it comes to raising active boys, it’s survival of the fittest!!
Oh boy, this has been a post in the making for almost 8 years now. When I had my first son I had no clue what I was in for! This boy has kept me on my toes ever since! Words cannot express what pictures can…
He looked so cute and innocent right? Cute, definitely…
Innocent…NO!
![raising active boys](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CIMG0142-768x1024.jpg)
![raising active boys](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_0505-1024x768.jpg)
![raising active boys](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_0766.jpg)
And who is the culprit??
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This is what happens when active boys get bored…
![4 year old drives van through garage. THAT was fun to report to the insurance company!](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_1328.jpg)
In case you haven’t realized by now, letting active boys get bored is never a good thing! I’m sure you probably also have a story to tell too, right? I wish I had kept a journal all these years because it would have been absolutely hilarious to go back and read! 4 yr olds driving vans through garages, peeing in the basement, pouring shampoo down the air vents, broken arms, stitches, E.R. visits, you name it! If you have an active boy you know what I’m talking about. I love my boys to death but I swear they might just send me to my grave early! Based on my own experience, and other moms I’ve talked to, here are the top 5 tips for raising an active boy:
1. Keep them BUSY. My son’s brain just goes and goes non-stop. If he has things to do, he does great. When he gets bored, not-so-great things happen and that’s when I start to pull my hair out. You might want to keep a running list of things you know your boys like to do, cause you’ll need it…constantly!
![raising active boys](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20140918_175404-576x1024.jpg)
2. Keep them ACTIVE. Outside, outside, Sports, sports, run, run, and whatever wears the heck out of them. If they are active, they’re much less prone to be couch potato video playing zombies.
3. Don’t buy anything valuable! It will just get broken! Trust me on this. You saw my van right? What you didn’t see was the white spray paint blob on the passenger side that appeared AFTER we repaired the van. It just never ends. My friend who has FIVE boys was the one who gave me this advice. Here is a picture of what my ‘once’ beautiful curtains look like now…
![raising active boys](https://www.heavenlyhavoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_0095-768x1024.jpg)
4. Laugh it up! Boys just like to be SILLY and GROSS. My boys know what is inappropriate, but sometimes I’ve learned, “if you can’t beat ’em join ’em.” My son thinks I’m the coolest mom in the world if I laugh at his jokes. A friend of mine who has 3 boys said this,
“Laugh and enjoy them! I find myself saying, “That was funny…inappropriate… but funny! Don’t do it again.” 🙂I love having boys!”
Oh yeah! Make sure you hide your tampon box too, or they might just get used as torpedos!…and then fake claws. :)LOL!
5. Keep a journal! Don’t follow my bad example! I have lots of pictures but I wish I had written down all the funny stories that were not funny at the time but would be NOW!
6. I know I said 5 tips but this one has to be included too. Love them! When I get angry because one of my boys just destroyed something or is driving me nuts, I try to remember that it’s not necessarily because they are bad kids that they act the way they do. They are just very active spirits in little bodies that are still exploring the world around them. I absolutely love my boys and the joy that has come from being their mom far exceeds the stress from trying to raise them. I know someday they will grow up and be gone raising families of their own (hopefully with their own crazy boys!) and I will miss them beyond belief! Thank goodness for boys and the mothers who are trying their best to raise them!