Oh, Wonderful Boy.

Namastè!

I have been noticing a hilarious thing with people.

Apparently baby boys are supposed to be bad. Harder to raise than girls. Generally disagreeable, messy, unruly.

I've gotten the same reaction since we got gender confirmation for Baby Namastè--people give that little half smile, tilt their heads to the side, and almost apologize. Or:

Oh my, at least you have your girl already.

Boys are wild.

I hope you didn't decorate, boys destroy houses.

Get used to yelling.

I know the stereotypes. Boys are supposed to be wild little creatures. Boys are dirty, noisy little imps who break things and destroy playrooms without a second thought. They're harder to potty train. They wreak havoc in the neighborhood. You can't even find cute clothes for them.

(Small FYI--my son's wardrobe is just as epic as his sister's. She argues that his clothing is actually better than her baby clothes were, because his stuff looks so cool and hers was just cute.)

Of course I don't believe in those myths.

Baby Namastè is 8 months old currently. He definitely seems to prefer things that are somewhat stereotypically masculine so far--he likes his dinosaurs, his elephant, and his green blankie. We are fairly sure it is simply conditioning from seeing his decor and personal items at this point, but he likes the color green. Candy apple green to be exact. He likes "working" with his dad and uncle, and he really loves Paw Patrol.

He is a quiet baby, though. He likes to study things. He plays with his toys and doesn't really throw them about just yet. While he is on the move often, he doesn't drag his toys all over the house. He doesn't make any bigger mess than girl babies his age when he eats his solids.

I remember a lot about Princess Namastè when she was tiny, and I can honestly say SHE was my wild one. Unlike her brother, she was a little Tasmanian devil. She liked to make lots of big noises and lots of big messes. At 9 months old she was walking, so she could and did get up to a bit more mischief than Baby Namastè does currently.

Without comparing him to any other kid by gender or any other trait, I can still affirm with no hesitation that he is a good kid. He is not really old enough to say much yet, but his personality is blossoming now and he appears to be a mild, friendly yet shy kid. He likes noises and he does enjoy making messes, but he isn't terrible but a lot going shot. The way people exaggerate, you'd think baby bus are born with an agenda to seek and destroy.

When they are toddlers, I am sure the jabs get worse. Terrible twos are probably the reason for some of these myths. The irony of the stories coming from childless people and people who haven't been around kids for many years, is not lost on me.

I'm not sure why people think it's cute or hip to negatively stereotype little boys, especially when they're little. I could be thinking too much or reading too much into it, but it's just annoying. I think little boys and little girls are simply the products of genetics and upbringing. Our son is very young still, so he hasn't had at of time to develop fully. We are doing our best to effect as positive a childhood as possible so he can remain a wonderful baby who grows from a wonderful child to a wonderful adult.

No, having a boy hasn't turned my hair gray, and I don't anticipate he'll be any harder to raise than his sister.

My boy is wonderful. Period.

I will feel exactly the same when he is a little bigger, a little more set on whatever ways he develops, and a little more inclined to follow his own path. Also, I'm really hoping we can pay with trucks in the mud, catch frogs, and make messy faces with our food sometimes. That is, if my boy is interested.

Namastè!

-- Tayè K. ♡