I am a mom of not one, not two, but THREE boys. Add my husband to the brood, and it’s a tough and chaotic household to manage all day, every day.
I love being a mother of boys because I get to experience my sons’ sweetness and their own promises of the sun, moon, and stars for me! Being in their loving company has helped me learn a lot about them as boys.
They say that having a daughter requires more protection, but with my experience with raising boys, I have come to realize that boys need protection, too. And learning how to protect your child can be much harder than it looks!
Boys appear rough and tough, but they are vulnerable and fragile at times. They need protection inside and out—just as much as girls. As a mom of boys belonging to different child stages (teen, young child, toddler), I realize they all need to be cared for and protected, too.
How to Protect Your Child From…
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Bullies
We tend to stereotype bullies as boys. At the same time, it’s always easy to think boys can defend themselves because they are boys. But that’s not always the case.
My eldest was bullied by a group of girls when he was in first grade. They used to hide his lunch kit and pass it to one another while my son tried to get it back. It went on for weeks before my son finally told me about it. I called the teacher’s attention, and the girls’ parents were notified. The bullying stopped.
While it is healthy to let our kids handle these situations on their own, when things get out of control, as parents we have to step in and do what we can to protect our kids. In that situation, I gave my son the best protection I could.
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Sickness
Both young boys and girls can be a victim of viruses that may potentially make them sick. Again, boys may look tougher and more resilient, but they need the same level of protection as girls do.
They need the same insect repellent patches, the same raincoat during rainy days, the same towel to put on their backs when they sweat, the same food and nutrition to keep them strong and healthy, and the same multivitamins to boost their immunity to sickness. How to protect your child takes equal amount of work, whether your child is a girl or a boy.
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Heartaches
In time, my boys will experience having their first crush, first girlfriend, and first heartache. Boys get hurt, too. Girls are not the only victims when it comes to relationship failures. Boys who are taught to make the first move (because they are boys and are usually expected to) are also the first ones to experience rejection.
My teenager has felt rejected and even experienced heartaches a number of times. Girls do make a young man cry, that’s the reality. Well, my son’s a teenager now and being in high school is a time when teens have their first crush, first ligaw, first “busted” or friend-zoned status, even first breakup for some.
When he was two to three years short from being a teen, we already talked to him about girls and relationships. Boys need to hear it straight from their parents so that they are guided when it comes to love and relationships. And the best protection from heartaches any parent could give to their children (boys or girls) is to never teach their children things that will lead them to pain or hurt.
Personally, I tell my boys, there’s a PERFECT TIMING for everything. That includes having a relationship. When that perfect time comes, they will be mature enough to handle different situations, heartaches included.
You see, boys’ hearts are just as fragile as girls’. They get hurt, too. They become the victims, too. Boys need protection from heartaches too.
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Harmful ingredients we put on their skin
From my boys’ early years in life, they already needed protection from all harmful ingredients in products we might inadvertently use and apply on them. Most of the time we think just because a brand is endorsed on different media by known personalities, it’s safe. As meticulous moms, we should carefully read the label and know what’s in them.
That’s why we use Baby Dove for them because it’s free of harmful chemicals which may irritate baby’s skin. To ensure the product is safe, make sure it’s paraben- and phthalate-free. And it should be dermatologist/pediatrician/ophthalmologist-tested and approved.
Use products that won’t leave baby’s skin dry. Baby Dove has their unique 1/4 moisturizing cream that replenishes essential moisture and nutrients stripped off during bath time, making it always soft to touch.
My boys’ skin in the early stages of life is as sensitive as girls’ too. And because of that, they need Baby Dove products to protect their skin from harm. Personally, my two younger boys use Baby Dove Rich Moisture Hair To Toe Wash, Moisture Shampoo, and Nourishing Baby Lotion. We also carry around Baby Care Wipes everywhere they go for instant clean-up and protection from not so clean surfaces where they sit or rest their little bodies on.
Whether you have a boy/s or a girl/s or both, I guess all parents do agree that the children need to be loved, cared, and protected in the best way we can. I am not a perfect mother, no one is. But what I know is, I do my best to become the best mother to my children. I may not always be right and my ways may not always be the best way. Because honestly, there really isn’t any perfect way, only real ones. Like how real my boys need protection as much as girls do.
How about you? Do you have a Mom-Of-Boys or even Mom-Of-Girls #RealMom stories to share? How do you protect your child or children from things or people that may hurt them? Share them below because I would love to hear your inspiring stories!
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Also read: Angelina Jolie uses self as ‘human shield’ to protect kids from mob
