Second rule, which as it happens is going to happen before rule one: Keep a stack of old rags, washcloths, flannel squares, pee pee tee pees handy at diaper changing area/ in your bag etc. because baby boys can create some amazing arcs of urine about half a second after you get the dirty diaper off.
@bcashaw this little boy is going to respect the heck out of women/other people's personal space. A mission DH and I have. Luckily this little guy will have a great role model in DH!
I feel like this thread is just going to be all about penis stuff. Which is great because I have. NO CLUE about penises.... other than the obvious (i am pregnant afterall) the families I've worked for for the last 6 years have all been baby girls and before that I had a potty trained boy!
Well the one that sticks out in my mind is when my youngest brother slammed his under the toilet lid while potty training. It was huge and purple and swollen almost shut for several days and he screamed every time he peed.
Penis stuff. Oh goodness so much penis stuff. At 2 1/2 his world already revolves around his penis. It stretches, grows, he can aim it at things, get a reaction out of mommy by pulling it out, anything you can think of. It's an obsession.
But I'd say one of the first penis lesson I learned was that even newborns can get erections. No one warned me so I'm warning you.
As mum of 2 boys aged 9 and 6.....mostly these are messages i try to teach them.
*Point it down! *It is called a penis. Not a willie, dick or peepee *it is your private area (from an age where they can clean it themselves) *it needs to be cleaned everyday *do NOT hurt another boys penis *They aren't little toy balls amd wont come out no matter how hard you squeeze them. My 6 year old thought they were spare marbles. *it is not to be used for sword fighting
Other boy things..... natural surges in testosterone coincide with bouts of aggressive and rude behavior. This is connected. Don't stress too badly, your little cherub hasn't suddenly grown horns.
I'm a mom of a lil boy and someone gave me an awesome tip when he was newborn for changing nappies I thought I would share as it was a huge help to me!
The first few months you will get squirted at in the face bc they pee SO OFTEN. My friend told me to keep plastic shot glasses handy and when changing his nappy, place one right over it. It seems weird but it avoids him peeing in you face and trust me it happens!
Being someone who has been around mostly boy babies and is expecuing a boy....
1) hold the front of the diaper a few seconds in front of his penis. That way if he DOES pee, it's more likely to hit the diaper than you. Usually pee is a reaction to cold.
2) Clean it well! Whether you circumcise or not, it needs cleaned. Cut babies need their circumcision cleaned every change. Uncut babies need wiped like a finger every change to keep the outside clean. DO NOT PULL BACK THE FORESKIN! It's not meant to retract!
3) Boys sometimes lactate after birth. This is normal! It's from the mother's hormones and it'll eventually go away.
That's about the most I can think of at the moment.
25 - FTM - BF Mom - Using CDs - Blogger and Soap Merchant Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Boys are awesome :-) I love my little man! In my experience you will spend a lot of time on your hands and knees driving cars around your house. I tried the gender neutral upbringing thing to start with but he seems naturally drawn to anything with wheels abs friends with boys have found the same.
I've changed boy diapers before and not gotten peed on but I'm definitely expecting to be when I have my own. The chances are just too high haha.
Guys, I'm going to have trouble with all the penis stuff. My family is very conservative so while I want him to know the proper terms for everything, I also want him to know these are privates and not meant to be talked about around others unless necessary (bathroom stuff, pain) and not meant to be played with. I totally respect people who are super open with that kind of thing, we just are not. But, this is a tiny person with their own thoughts and feelings, I can't really control him so I guess we'll see what happens!
I didnt buy anything special, but draped a spare burp cloth over his penis while changing. If he peed, it didn't get me and mostly soaked into the cloth. I have actually never been peed on by my DS. I have, however, been peed on by my DD when she was small.
when people say to point it down, they mean to make sure it's pointing toward the butt when you do up the diaper. If it's pointing toward his face, pee will come out the front of the diaper and he will get soaked.
Weve managed to avoid the penis obsession so far, but I imagine it'll start once we begin potty training. It's always in his diaper now, so not as issue.
All of the ladies gave great advice so far. I cannot stress enough to point it down hahaha. I didn't do that at first and couldn't figure out how my son peed out of his diaper so dang much.
I never had to use anything to cover him but I was quick with the diaper if I saw he was about to pee.
No matter what you do, your son will find his penis and will be obsesses with it. I tried to stop him but it never worked. My goal in the end was to stop him in public only which I did. At home is a whole other game. Now that he's older (4), it's not much of an issue though he does wake up sometimes and tugs on it and when I ask why, he tells me it grew.
@kissthesky32 Point it down on the potty too . Or they just pee on them self . My nephew always needed to be told to concentrate and to point it in the toilet or he'd jiggle around talking and get pee everywhere while sitting on the toilet
Boys are obsessed with their penis from the day they find it until the day they die. My son stretches and pulls on it and I don't understand how it doesn't hurt him. Like the other ladies said, make sure to cover it when changing diapers or you will have pee everywhere, it's amazing how far their stream can go! And I second that nobody ever told me about the erections! My son is super sweet (most of the time) and loves his mama to death but he is a man's boy and he will drop me in a heartbeat for daddy or grandpa. I'm also pretty sure he would go with anybody who had a big truck so I'm careful about watching him closely. They are pretty wild and will give you a lot of heart attacks but they are so lovable!
I was never peed on by my son! When I changed his diaper I would open his diaper for a second and then shut it right away, and that quick burst of air would cause him to pee into his already dirty diaper. Never leave a nb penis uncovered or you WILL get peed on!!
Penis points down in the diaper so that per stays in the diaper.
your doctor will give you medical advice as far as how to take care of the penis after circumcision and if you need to clean it. We weren't instructed to clean our son's circumcised penis other than normal bathing.
boy stuff... we treat our son as a human being. It's ok for him to be sensitive or cry or be hurt, even though he's a boy. We don't try to teach him to "be tough" other than the same things we would do w/ a girl. (Letting him know he's ok if he fell down or something but didn't get hurt.) we let him play with whatever toys he wants. trains are his favorite, but he also has a baby doll that he loves.
Manners... we will teach him to be respectful, just like we would teach a girl. We teach him not to take toys away from others and to be kind. However, we do believe in chivalry and will teach him to hold doors for girls and things like that when he is older. My aunt taught my cousin, "ladies first" and even as a five year old he would hold the door for his grandma and female relatives, it was so sweet.
The hospital told us to always check to make sure there are no stray hairs or string that get in the diaper because they can get wrapped around. That stuck with me and there was one time I actually found one in there...not wrapped on anything but I can see how that can happen
I have a son and a daughter. My son is a HUGE Mamas boy. He loves his Mama snuggles and kisses. He's my shadow and I love every second of it because my daughter is totally a Daddy's girl.
The biggest learning curve for me was penis care. Honestly. I didn't know what the hell todo with it! We chose not to circumsize so I had to do some research. Once I found out I literally have to do nothing with it, I was good to go.
Now the biggest adjustment is just his rambunctious and energetic personality in comparison to my daughter's chill and calm one. He seems so spontaneous and insane haha But he's just a little boy with more energy than humanly possible.
Oh and PS Gap kids has the cutest "little man" clothing line up for boys. I go broke!
@jka427. I had always heard about the hair thing but never had an issue until one day when I was working at the daycare I noticed a hair wrapped around one of the baby's toes while I was feeding her. We had to cut it off it was pretty tight! And normally she had on footed pjs so it was a miracle that she didn't that day.
Don't be scared of the penis. Point it down in the diaper. I've gotten peed on a lot, but it gets better as they get older. It's just a little pee. if you circumcise, get lots of Vaseline in the squeeze tube and squirt it on. I honestly think girls are harder to change with all the folds and front to back business. My oldest (4.5 year old) is not obsessed with his penis…yet anyways. My 1.5 year old grabs it during diaper changes but it's not constant for him yet either.
Both of my boys first word was car. They love all things that go, switched to dinosaurs and my oldest is getting into superheroes now. I've learned the name of lots of construction trucks and know a lot about dinosaurs too. Lots of cars, trucks, balls, puzzles, building sets, legos, dino/animal figurines, sticks, bugs.
They are rough and tumble and active little beings, but then the very sweetest. They love their mama and dad, too. They are so fun and so crazy and will keep you busy. Boy clothes have totally stepped in cuteness over time, too. I love all the plaid shorts and button ups.
I know now it seems scary at first, since we are girls. I didn't know what to do or expect when I had my first. I'm the opposite now-what would I do with a girl!?
A non-penis related thing is that (from my experience) boys tend to play a lot rougher. Sometimes his idea of "I love you" is to grab my face and roar loudly at me. He naturally wants to wrestle as much as he wants to snuggle and give me a million kisses. There is no in between. We taught "nice hands" from the beginning and stress it a lot. He's finally starting to really understand and can now be trusted to pet the dogs without me worrying about him accidentally hurting them.
My son turned two in April but he's always been the sweetest boy. He's big into anything with wheels and is always exploring. He LOVES wrestling with DH. It's part of our daily routine at this point.
I am trying to think of things but I can't really beyond how sweet he is. He'll probably turn eventually but for now I am enjoying my mama's boy.
Oh dang I didn't even think about the hair thing. And yeah, penis goes down in the diaper, which should be obvious but we all forget stuff like that sometimes.
As for respecting other people's personal space, I personally think that's just part and parcel of basic manners. Along with opening the door for people and saying "please" and "thank you".
25 - FTM - BF Mom - Using CDs - Blogger and Soap Merchant Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
I'm a boy mom but mine wasn't obsessed with his penis. He's about to be 6 and just now informed me that "it feels good when he squishes it". Not all boys like to play rough and get dirty. He's not "feminine" by any means, but has never liked getting messy. He doesn't even like the texture of walking in the grass barefooted and he wears rain boots to play in the sprinkler (I've tried to stop that one to no avail lol). All kids are different, but definitely point the penis down! And teach him that boys need lotion too.
Edited to add that there's this special bond between a boy and his mom that can't be explained. It is one of the most awesome things in the world
My boys are all full of energy! Be ready to be exhausted! (I'm sure girls might be too, but my step daughter is not the same level of energy as my boys) In the younger years, penis care is what you need to know. In the toddler years, the energy level is what you need to know. In the preschool years, buy stock in bandaids and be ready with little ice packs for a lot of skinned knees. In the adolescent years, be ready for the daring, silly, (sometimes stupid), things they will do. I can't offer advice on the teen years.
But just some general advice, remember you are doing the best you can. Stay off of google. Be prepared to walk away for a few mins to catch your breath. And I won't say enjoy every minute, because you absolutely won't, but cherish the really good moments! Congrats boy moms!
General consensus amongst my family and friends is that boys aren't ready to potty train as early as girls. (Yes, there will always be outliers of boys who are trained at two with zero accidents.) Just wait until he's ready and it will be easier, says the woman who learned that the hard way.
I have both a boy and a girl with another little boy on the way. For me the boy raising has actually been a bit easier. What he needs from me is usually a little bit more clear cut. From 1.5-4.5 my son was extremely stubborn: Refused to get in car seat, would take off belt buckles for no apparent reason, would have a major melt down due to minor changes in routine. It wasn't easy to deal with but it was always pretty clear to me how to handle things. He also was pretty attached to me and would cry if I left the table at a restaurant to go to the bathroom and things like that.
Penis stuff: I changed the baby diapers and would just put the new diaper underneath the dirty one and would cover him up with it as soon as I pulled the dirty diaper out. I was OK with teaching him the proper name for it and how to clean it but I refer most everything else to DH. I am not an owner and operater of one so not the best one to give pointers. Honestly having to soon explain puberty to my 9 year old girl scares me more!
Boys will be boys stuff: My son is stereotypically loud, energetic and fearless. But he is also super sweet, loves the 18 inch "American Boy" doll he asked for for Christmas and calls it his buddy and totes it everywhere. He is very sweet and usually the first one to come help me in the kitchen. He loves his big sister and wants to do many of the things she does including wearing nail polish. Other boys have reacted negatively to his doll buddy and the nail polish wearing so I make sure to talk to him about what other people's ideas may be about what boys and girls should and should not wear or do and ask him how those comments make him feel. So far he is pretty steadfast in the fact that he likes what he likes and does not give a flip what anyone thinks.
I love both my kids equally but these are some of the things that stick out to me about raising my little boy. I have not doubt you will have a special mother/son bond with your little guy and I'm excited for you!
DD- 9
DS-6
c/p- April 2016
missed m/c- 6w5d; discovered 8w2d- September 2016
My boys are all full of energy! Be ready to be exhausted! (I'm sure girls might be too, but my step daughter is not the same level of energy as my boys) In the younger years, penis care is what you need to know. In the toddler years, the energy level is what you need to know. In the preschool years, buy stock in bandaids and be ready with little ice packs for a lot of skinned knees. In the adolescent years, be ready for the daring, silly, (sometimes stupid), things they will do. I can't offer advice on the teen years.
But just some general advice, remember you are doing the best you can. Stay off of google. Be prepared to walk away for a few mins to catch your breath. And I won't say enjoy every minute, because you absolutely won't, but cherish the really good moments! Congrats boy moms!
Love this!
~Ziggy
Me:27 (diagnosed anovulatory May 2016) DH:29 (normal) Met 2008 | Dated 2010 | Married 2012 TTC#1 since June 2015 June 2016- 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 12), thin (2.45) lining | BFN July 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 10), thin (~4) lining | BFN August 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | BFN | Referred to specialist, visited once, was told we have less than a 3% chance even on medication, recommended to IUI for up to a 50% chance, decided not to pursue at this time | Stopped "trying" October 2016- We became licensed foster parents November 9, 2016- Arrival of DD#1, 4yo March 1, 2017- 1 day late, feel like crap (low fever & exhausted) | Mom suggested test before taking meds, I laughed but did it anyway | BFP! *shock*
My son was 7 lbs 10 oz at birth, but his legs were SO skinny. We bought Huggies newborn because they had the little cut out for the umbilical cord stump, but the leg holes weren't as tiny, so he'd pee straight through the leg holes. For some reason, the Pampers newborn diapers were a little more snug around his leg. Once he chunked up a little, we switched to Luvs. But those first few weeks? Pampers saved so many outfits- ours and his.
Re: Boy Moms
the families I've worked for for the last 6 years have all been baby girls and before that I had a potty trained boy!
But I also remember several medical incidents involving penises that have scarred me for life. Help, I'm scared.
But I'd say one of the first penis lesson I learned was that even newborns can get erections. No one warned me so I'm warning you.
*Point it down!
*It is called a penis. Not a willie, dick or peepee
*it is your private area (from an age where they can clean it themselves)
*it needs to be cleaned everyday
*do NOT hurt another boys penis
*They aren't little toy balls amd wont come out no matter how hard you squeeze them. My 6 year old thought they were spare marbles.
*it is not to be used for sword fighting
Other boy things..... natural surges in testosterone coincide with bouts of aggressive and rude behavior. This is connected. Don't stress too badly, your little cherub hasn't suddenly grown horns.
Have fun! Boys are awesome!
I'm a mom of a lil boy and someone gave me an awesome tip when he was newborn for changing nappies I thought I would share as it was a huge help to me!
The first few months you will get squirted at in the face bc they pee SO OFTEN. My friend told me to keep plastic shot glasses handy and when changing his nappy, place one right over it. It seems weird but it avoids him peeing in you face and trust me it happens!
Good luck!
*goes back to lurking*
1) hold the front of the diaper a few seconds in front of his penis. That way if he DOES pee, it's more likely to hit the diaper than you. Usually pee is a reaction to cold.
2) Clean it well! Whether you circumcise or not, it needs cleaned. Cut babies need their circumcision cleaned every change. Uncut babies need wiped like a finger every change to keep the outside clean. DO NOT PULL BACK THE FORESKIN! It's not meant to retract!
3) Boys sometimes lactate after birth. This is normal! It's from the mother's hormones and it'll eventually go away.
That's about the most I can think of at the moment.
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Guys, I'm going to have trouble with all the penis stuff. My family is very conservative so while I want him to know the proper terms for everything, I also want him to know these are privates and not meant to be talked about around others unless necessary (bathroom stuff, pain) and not meant to be played with. I totally respect people who are super open with that kind of thing, we just are not. But, this is a tiny person with their own thoughts and feelings, I can't really control him so I guess we'll see what happens!
I didnt buy anything special, but draped a spare burp cloth over his penis while changing. If he peed, it didn't get me and mostly soaked into the cloth. I have actually never been peed on by my DS. I have, however, been peed on by my DD when she was small.
when people say to point it down, they mean to make sure it's pointing toward the butt when you do up the diaper. If it's pointing toward his face, pee will come out the front of the diaper and he will get soaked.
Weve managed to avoid the penis obsession so far, but I imagine it'll start once we begin potty training. It's always in his diaper now, so not as issue.
I never had to use anything to cover him but I was quick with the diaper if I saw he was about to pee.
No matter what you do, your son will find his penis and will be obsesses with it. I tried to stop him but it never worked. My goal in the end was to stop him in public only which I did. At home is a whole other game. Now that he's older (4), it's not much of an issue though he does wake up sometimes and tugs on it and when I ask why, he tells me it grew.
Point it down on the potty too . Or they just pee on them self .
My nephew always needed to be told to concentrate and to point it in the toilet or he'd jiggle around talking and get pee everywhere while sitting on the toilet
My son is super sweet (most of the time) and loves his mama to death but he is a man's boy and he will drop me in a heartbeat for daddy or grandpa. I'm also pretty sure he would go with anybody who had a big truck so I'm careful about watching him closely.
They are pretty wild and will give you a lot of heart attacks but they are so lovable!
Penis points down in the diaper so that per stays in the diaper.
your doctor will give you medical advice as far as how to take care of the penis after circumcision and if you need to clean it. We weren't instructed to clean our son's circumcised penis other than normal bathing.
boy stuff... we treat our son as a human being. It's ok for him to be sensitive or cry or be hurt, even though he's a boy. We don't try to teach him to "be tough" other than the same things we would do w/ a girl. (Letting him know he's ok if he fell down or something but didn't get hurt.) we let him play with whatever toys he wants. trains are his favorite, but he also has a baby doll that he loves.
Manners... we will teach him to be respectful, just like we would teach a girl. We teach him not to take toys away from others and to be kind. However, we do believe in chivalry and will teach him to hold doors for girls and things like that when he is older. My aunt taught my cousin, "ladies first" and even as a five year old he would hold the door for his grandma and female relatives, it was so sweet.
The biggest learning curve for me was penis care. Honestly. I didn't know what the hell todo with it! We chose not to circumsize so I had to do some research. Once I found out I literally have to do nothing with it, I was good to go.
Now the biggest adjustment is just his rambunctious and energetic personality in comparison to my daughter's chill and calm one. He seems so spontaneous and insane haha But he's just a little boy with more energy than humanly possible.
Oh and PS Gap kids has the cutest "little man" clothing line up for boys. I go broke!
Married 9-19-2009
Baby Karrot 2.0 - 6.25.2015 - He's here! Via VBAC @ 36 weeks.
Don't be scared of the penis. Point it down in the diaper. I've gotten peed on a lot, but it gets better as they get older. It's just a little pee. if you circumcise, get lots of Vaseline in the squeeze tube and squirt it on. I honestly think girls are harder to change with all the folds and front to back business. My oldest (4.5 year old) is not obsessed with his penis…yet anyways. My 1.5 year old grabs it during diaper changes but it's not constant for him yet either.
Both of my boys first word was car. They love all things that go, switched to dinosaurs and my oldest is getting into superheroes now. I've learned the name of lots of construction trucks and know a lot about dinosaurs too. Lots of cars, trucks, balls, puzzles, building sets, legos, dino/animal figurines, sticks, bugs.
They are rough and tumble and active little beings, but then the very sweetest. They love their mama and dad, too. They are so fun and so crazy and will keep you busy. Boy clothes have totally stepped in cuteness over time, too. I love all the plaid shorts and button ups.
I know now it seems scary at first, since we are girls. I didn't know what to do or expect when I had my first. I'm the opposite now-what would I do with a girl!?
A non-penis related thing is that (from my experience) boys tend to play a lot rougher. Sometimes his idea of "I love you" is to grab my face and roar loudly at me. He naturally wants to wrestle as much as he wants to snuggle and give me a million kisses. There is no in between. We taught "nice hands" from the beginning and stress it a lot. He's finally starting to really understand and can now be trusted to pet the dogs without me worrying about him accidentally hurting them.
I am trying to think of things but I can't really beyond how sweet he is. He'll probably turn eventually but for now I am enjoying my mama's boy.
As for respecting other people's personal space, I personally think that's just part and parcel of basic manners. Along with opening the door for people and saying "please" and "thank you".
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
I'm a boy mom but mine wasn't obsessed with his penis. He's about to be 6 and just now informed me that "it feels good when he squishes it". Not all boys like to play rough and get dirty. He's not "feminine" by any means, but has never liked getting messy. He doesn't even like the texture of walking in the grass barefooted and he wears rain boots to play in the sprinkler (I've tried to stop that one to no avail lol). All kids are different, but definitely point the penis down! And teach him that boys need lotion too.
Edited to add that there's this special bond between a boy and his mom that can't be explained. It is one of the most awesome things in the world
DS1 is 7. DD is 1. DS2 is coming in late April.
But just some general advice, remember you are doing the best you can. Stay off of google. Be prepared to walk away for a few mins to catch your breath. And I won't say enjoy every minute, because you absolutely won't, but cherish the really good moments! Congrats boy moms!
Penis stuff: I changed the baby diapers and would just put the new diaper underneath the dirty one and would cover him up with it as soon as I pulled the dirty diaper out. I was OK with teaching him the proper name for it and how to clean it but I refer most everything else to DH. I am not an owner and operater of one so not the best one to give pointers. Honestly having to soon explain puberty to my 9 year old girl scares me more!
Boys will be boys stuff: My son is stereotypically loud, energetic and fearless. But he is also super sweet, loves the 18 inch "American Boy" doll he asked for for Christmas and calls it his buddy and totes it everywhere. He is very sweet and usually the first one to come help me in the kitchen. He loves his big sister and wants to do many of the things she does including wearing nail polish. Other boys have reacted negatively to his doll buddy and the nail polish wearing so I make sure to talk to him about what other people's ideas may be about what boys and girls should and should not wear or do and ask him how those comments make him feel. So far he is pretty steadfast in the fact that he likes what he likes and does not give a flip what anyone thinks.
I love both my kids equally but these are some of the things that stick out to me about raising my little boy. I have not doubt you will have a special mother/son bond with your little guy and I'm excited for you!
DD- 9
DS-6
c/p- April 2016
missed m/c- 6w5d; discovered 8w2d- September 2016
Met 2008 | Dated 2010 | Married 2012
TTC#1 since June 2015
June 2016- 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 12), thin (2.45) lining | BFN
July 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 10), thin (~4) lining | BFN
August 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | BFN | Referred to specialist, visited once, was told we have less than a 3% chance even on medication, recommended to IUI for up to a 50% chance, decided not to pursue at this time | Stopped "trying"
October 2016- We became licensed foster parents
November 9, 2016- Arrival of DD#1, 4yo
March 1, 2017- 1 day late, feel like crap (low fever & exhausted) | Mom suggested test before taking meds, I laughed but did it anyway | BFP! *shock*
My son was 7 lbs 10 oz at birth, but his legs were SO skinny. We bought Huggies newborn because they had the little cut out for the umbilical cord stump, but the leg holes weren't as tiny, so he'd pee straight through the leg holes. For some reason, the Pampers newborn diapers were a little more snug around his leg. Once he chunked up a little, we switched to Luvs. But those first few weeks? Pampers saved so many outfits- ours and his.