Dude Mom Life. Growing Dudes.

My Dudes are still mostly little…

So presently our lives are filled with light sabers and flying jump kicks.  Our floors are dangerously littered with Matchbox cars and Legos.  And pretty much every room in the place smells like a strange combination of mud and sweat and tail.

It is awesome.

But, as #1 is quickly approaching tweendom (he reaches a decade next month), I’ve noticed some, um, differences.

Sure there are way more reprimands for hands in the pants guy behavior than previously, but it’s more than that.

He is just starting to change.

For the better?

Probably, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna act like a big fat cry baby over it and no way am I ready for it.

I know, I know.  I better get ready.

I’m trying, kay?  And I swear I will be all over responsible parenthood the moment I finish my I-don’t-want-to-get-old-my-kids-to-grow-up tantrum.

Learning how to mom a tween Dude is new.

And, I’m not a huge fan of things that are new.  Unless they are shoes.  Or clothes.  Or chocolate covered dessert treats.

And also, saying goodbye to mommy and hello to mom is hard for me.  I’ve had to give up so much!

Apparently it is wrong for me to bust into the Running Man when My Prerogative comes on in Costco.  It still feels right, but the way he glares and complains about it, I’m pretty sure it’s not.

And, somehow he is totally over me licking my finger and then using it to wipe his face.  I know, it’s always been gross, but now it is also forbidden.

And hugs him in public.  Fuggetuhboutit.  I might as well pants the kid he gets so embarrassed.

Heck, I’m lucky if he even deigns to walk alongside me when I’m taking him to school after a doctor’s appointment.

And he’s not even a surly kid!

He’s well mannered, and well behaved, and well spoken.

He listens, he follows directions, and he’s reserved.

He is pretty much every parents’ favorite play date invitee
(seriously, they tell me all the time, he’s so easy people actually want him over for play dates to keep their kid out of their hair!).

And he’s still all the way over being my baby and not at all ashamed to say it to my face.

So, I took my recent appointment as co-host of the Tweens and Self Esteem Live Talk on the Motherhood sponsored by Don’t Fret the Sweat seriously.

Because I am fretting.

And sweating quite profusely, if I’m honest, about my new life as still-cool-in-my-head-even-if-he-can’t-see-it mom to a tween Dude.

It’s weird to think that just a couple of years ago this was a mom blog about raising babies.  And, already, it is morphing into a the best lifestyle blog on the planet what?! mom blog about raising big kids.

No, I’m not getting old!

As a matter of fact, I’ve not aged a day since 2008 and I’m not ever going to.  But, strangely, my eternal youth is not hereditary and my kids are dead set on growing up, no matter how often I beg them to not to.

Best part of having this blog life?

I’m 100% not alone!  I don’t have to take this scary mom-to-grown-up-Dudes journey all by my lonesome.

And neither do you!

We have each other even on the days our husbands are hiding in the basement and our children are actively trying to disown us.

So.  Lucky.

Looking for some Dude Mom resources to help you understand the secret life of growing Dudes (it’s not really a big secret, just don’t kiss them in front of their friends, expect them to actually use soap when they shower, or wait for them to tell you details about their day without expert probing and reverse psychology, and you’ll be good I think)?

Here are a few of my current faves by and for moms of Dudes…

For funny stuff… Ooph.com (she’s a Dude Mom too and she has a number of really great, informational, and often hilarious stories and tips for talking with your kids!)

For helpful information including good research and junk from smart people… PBS (they actually have a series on raising boys on their site!  And, after spending a day at the PBS Office in DC learning about the super cool new PBS Kids Lab popping off on their website, I trust these people know their stuff.  And also, Sesame Street.  Come on, that show is genius.)

For real life talk from real life moms on The Motherhood… Unilever’s Don’t Fret the Sweat sponsored the most recent series of Live Talks on The Motherhood (you can see what the real mom co-hosts and participants had to say about everything from helping to build self esteem in Tweens to personal hygiene in Tweens, a topic I can NOT say enough about when it comes to The smelly Dudes).

Now, don’t feel left out if you’re a Chick Mom; something exciting is coming your way next week so be on the look out!