“So how many children do you have?”
“Three. Three boys.”
She pats my shoulder patronisingly and shakes her head. “You poor thing. That must drive you crazy!”
Later on…
“I’ve been making a concerted effort to go out and about because even though I’m happier at home, I think my little one really needs to learn the art of socialising. It’s hard for him to make friends and he seems not to know what to do when he finds one so he just reacts a bit too physically, which puts the other children off.”
“Don’t you think it might just be a boy thing?”
“Well, all of my boys are different, the other two were fine with making friends so I don’t think we can say that all boys are like that.”
“Yes, but a friend of mine has a young boy and well..he is just always so aggressive!”
Later on…
Her beautiful little girl started throwing a hard ball at my son’s face. She did this once. She obviously didn’t mean to do it and my son was only mildy put out. Then later she hit his face with the ball again. And again. My son was getting annoyed at this stage and that last throw hurt him. Her mother was nowhere to be seen so I told her to throw the ball on the ground instead, to see if it bounces (trying to distract her from hitting my son’s face.) She looked straight at me, then aimed the ball directly at my son’s face and threw it again, harder this time. My son was obviously upset.
I walked closer to comfort him and in that moment he picked the ball up and threw it, but in such a way that it didn’t hit her but he did throw it in her general direction. Just as he did this the mum of the little girl walked over.
“Oh I see what you mean about his behaviour,” she said as she scooped up her girl to soothe her from the ball that didn’t even hit her.
—————-
I feel a strong sense of connection with mothers. All mothers. I think moreso with mothers of boys. I don’t know if having a girl is any different to having a boy (and really, why should it? Children are children – there are aggressive girls, sensitive and quiet boys.) but I just know what it’s like to constantly hear the same thing over and over -
3 boys must be hell! Actually no. It’s hard work but 3 children of either gender is hard work. ONE child is hard work.
3 boys must really keep you busy. Not any more busy than 3 girls, surely?
Don’t you wish you had a girl? Why? Do they magically sleep through the night? Never have any issues making friends, always happy and never tantruming?
Whenever I see a mum out shopping, three boys in tow we look at each, nod and smile. There is a bond with mothers but I feel it more so with those that have only boys.
