The Challenge With Raising Boys . . .

Hands In Your Pants: If you're the mom of boys, you will totally get this four-year-old's fascination

raising boys
I grew up with a sister. I am the proud aunt of three boys. But I've never, until now, had to understand how to talk to boys about "growing up."
 
My son is 4.5 years old. He has always been a little shy, but has come into his personality a lot over the past year. But one thing he isn't shy about are his "privates."
 
His favourite word seems to have become The P word. He makes up songs about it. He talks about it. He PLAYS with it. A LOT.
 
Is this normal for an almost-5-year-old boy? My husband says it is, but I literally find him with his hands down his pants ALL OF THE TIME. In the morning, before bed, you name it. Even the breakfast table . . . spoon in one hand, "P" in the other??!!  Seriously?
 
I've made sure that he only does this in the privacy of our home. It is now a rule that he does not speak of it or touch it when out in public. And he says he doesn't do it at school. Thank god . . .
 
I try to talk to him best I can, asking questions like, "Why are you playing with it?" "Why is your hand down your pants?" You know, the easy questions.
 
And his responses are typical of that of a 4.5-year-old boy. "It grows, mommy!" "It's standing up, mommy, so I'm just putting it back down."
 
How do you not just laugh??!!
 
Any my response? "Its like you Z, it's growing up."
 
Is this even the right way to go about it? I think I'm going to have to let my husband take this one . . . and look forward to having "The Talk" when our youngest gets a little older.
 
So to all you moms out there, how have you handled understanding how to raise boys?
 
 
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Debbie Davidov is a happily married, suburban mother of 2 boys.  While trying to juggle her busy household and a full time job, she found a passion for blogging about her life experiences as a mom and wife.  She is a lover of chocolate, wine, fashion and reality television, not necessarily in that order.