Raising boys is hard! Especially when they turn 13 without permission.

This is Bubby! At least we call him Bubby! Or Bubbies! He is super smart and has the kindest heart. He also just turned 13. And then I started to cry. You see being 13 comes with a whole lot of weird stuff. It’s weird for the kid and sometimes even weirder for the Mom. Here’s 5 things I’ve learned about raising a 13 year old boy.

5. He Stinks: 

Like all the time! Every single part of his body! The other day he came home from playing with a friend. Took off his socks and he just about set off a nuclear bomb alert! It was so bad that we literally opened every door and window in the house just for some relief. I immediately sent him to the shower and took the socks he was wearing and placed them in a bio hazard bag. But the smell just stayed. It’s like you can’t scrub them enough. It seeps out onto everything.

4. His Body is So Big: 

He’s like the size of an almost grown man but he doesn’t know it. So he flops, drops, flips and kicks like he’s 10, but with the force of an adult. The other day his knee went into the glass of the entertainment center cracking the glass into giant weapon sized pieces. It was lovely. He’s broken the foot of the sectional ottoman from flopping down with all of his weight. He sounds like a buffalo herd up and down the stairs and his cuddles are more like being mauled by a bear.

3. The TALK! 

You know the one about the birds and the bees. Well, there’s way more than birds and bees. I found myself on the internet the other day googling the word erection. I needed a scientific photo. Good luck on that one!! And why did I need a scientific photo of the word erection?… well because we saw one. That is when you know it’s probably time to have the TALK! My stomach was in a giant knot and we used words like ejaculation and intercourse… and I felt like I was going to throw up. He walked away in that awkward– what just hit me- way from the conversation and I looked over at my husband and said HUG ME! Please! That was awful. And I’m pretty sure that won’t be the last of it.

2. He Knows Everything… Just Ask Him! 

He loves science. It comes very naturally to him. So now it comes naturally to us too. He’s sure he knows how everything works and why it works that way. And don’t tell him otherwise. He’ll fight tooth and nail about something he’s totally wrong about. Sometimes I fight back but lately… I just let him think he’s right. It’s way easier!

1. He Still Needs Me: 

Yep, he still needs my hugs. As a matter of fact, he seeks them out. I think now more than ever he needs to feel my love. He needs someone to show him he’s ok just being him. It’s my job to set him on the path to becoming a wonderful young man. I’m going to hug him through the bad days. Through the feelings of failure brought on by ADHD. I’m also the best example he has of the kind of love he should receive from his future partner. That’s my job as Mom. I may no longer be cool. But in the quiet moments, I will always be Mom.

He went and turned 13 without permission and that scares me to death sometimes. It just means we’re entering a new exciting chapter of life. We’re going to tackle this one messy 13 year old issue at a time!

#sonottogether

How did you handle your baby crossing over into teen-hood? We’re you a So Not Together mess like me?

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