Boys Have Hormones Too!

Who knew?!

When I popped out my first little darling it was a boy.  The boy is now almost 10 and man do I know about it.

I've always been proud of my children, they are well mannered, generally kind and considerate.  Yes they argue and I kind of see them a bit like Tom & Jerry, batting each other silly one minute but will have each others backs if a third party is to get involved.

Over the past year there has been a change in the 9yo. He's become very moody, extremely shouty and very teary.  He's like a pre-menstrual woman. It's hell!  I never expected this. I never gave it a minutes thought about boys actually having hormones. I mean, I know their body changes and things but this?

So here's my top 5 things to look out for if you have pre-pubescent boys.

1. Shouting.  If I simply ask him to put his shoes on and it's taken him 20 minutes to get one on which has velcro straps; not laces.

2. Thinking They are More Grown Up Than They Are: Telling the 5yo off like he is her parent.  "If you don't do this; then you're not going to so and so's party"  I have to keep reminding him he's not in charge of her and her parenting.

3. Crying.. at everything.  Can't do his homework, got a code one at school, Mummy took the mickey out of him, iPad has been taken away, thinking about the dog dying (in the future). The fish that actually did die.

4. Lying and getting caught which then leads to number 3.

5. Smelly feet.


And Just as he's probably about to come through the other side of the actual puberty bit, the 5yo is going to start. At least with a girl I'm more prepared and I'm hoping she wont have as smelly feet as my boy.

Lets Talk About Puberty.

The 9 year old is in year 5 at school and this half term they are starting to learn about puberty.  I grew up in a very "private" household. My parents were from a different era so any bodily functions weren't talked about. I learnt it all from school and the playground.

When we had children Mr.M and I decided we would try and be as open but age appropriate as possible. I'm happy to lie about Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy but I want my kids to have a fairly good grasp of what's going on in their bodies and not feel embarrassed by them.

So this week the 9 year old tells us he's learning the proper words for body parts. Being a boy who laughs at burps and farts; he revels in telling us about his anus, rectum, butthole (not sure that's on the school  list!).  Then he goes on to say there's a word that begins with D and ends in O.  There's only one I can think of and it isn't a "real" body part.  I ask him what the word is as I can't think of anything. He says "dildo", ah it was the one I had in mind.  Does he know what it is? No, so I explain it's a sort of plastic penis. Thank God he didn't actually ask why you would need a plastic one!

Yesterday we spoke about the physical changes that will happen, I explained his voice will get deeper, his muscles will get bigger, he may or may not get spots but he will certainly get hair.  This is the most appalling part for him I think. 

He doesn't want a hairy bum like Dad!