Man Lessons

Who says we don't genderfy our kids? I know that isn't a word, but you catch my drift. I have talked about how my little boy is changing into a full fledged, play in the dirt, climb all over everything kinda kid. Well, now he is getting lessons from The Husband on how to be a "tough guy." The conversation between the two of them over the last week has been whether or not I like tough guys best. The Boy thought up until last night that I did not like tough guys. I am not sure what he thought I liked, but tough guys wasn't it. I think The Husband's hope behind this lesson was to get The Boy to stop crying hysterical crocodile tears every time he fell down in a place where someone could see him fall down. If we witness it, it is a much, much worse accident or boo boo. Thus, the tough guy mentality.

So, The Boy asks me if I like tough guys. I tell him, sure I like tough guys, but I like sensitive guys too. I don't want him to lose that side of his personality. I really believe that once you are taught to be one way it is harder to go back to the way you were. And, won't his future girlfriends, etc. be much more pleased if he can be sensitive? Being a woman, I say yes. Am I against The Husband teaching him how to be tough? Not at all, I think there needs to be a good balance. Now I just have to find a good way to explain the meaning of the word sensitive to The Boy. He gets the word tough, so much so that he is now telling me how tough he is at the drop of the hat.

The Boy fell down as his was running from the garage to the back porch last night and scraped his knee. Tears fell, blood dripped, it was fun times. But, as soon as The Husband said the word tough, The Boy stopped crying and became more interested in what kind of band-aid we were going to put on his new boo boo. The Tough Guy lessons continued...

The Husband: Do you know what you should say when someone asks you what happens to your knee?
The Boy: I don't know.
The Husband: You should say, "Chicks dig scars."
The Boy: Why? (I love this about him by the way.)
The Husband: It is cool.
The Boy: Okay.

Five minutes passes.

The Husband: What happened to your knee?
The Boy: Chicks need scars.

Not exactly sure what kind of message that response would send. It made us laugh, but I am not sure other folks would feel the same way. The Husband and The Boy practiced his response the rest of the evening and this morning when he was asked "What happened to your knee" by his teacher, he said the right thing. I guess he is well on his way to being that tough guy!