Wow, I can now say I am a mother of boyS! Not just one, but 2 boys! It was my husband’s dream to have 2 boys and 19 months ago, he received the gift of another son. We also have a 14 yr old daughter and a 11 year old son. And yes, it is a big gap between the kids, and YES, we actually did it on purpose.

I know it might seem crazy, but we just felt that our family wasn’t done yet. After a lot of prayer on my part (asking God to convince my husband that we should have another baby)…one day my husband turned to me and said- “God just told me YES! You can try for another baby!” Its a way longer story than that, but all that to say, it’s still weird to say that we have 3 kids and 2 boys!

These two have a sweet relationship that we really treasure. Evan takes time to come in a snuggle with Elijah almost everyday without fail. Elijah thinks Evan is the funniest person on the planet and will literally start belly laughing if Evan jumps up and down. Evan has his own personal audience and is living it up to the fullest!

I’ve had baby boys before, but what I haven’t had is an 11 yr old boy. Boys are so different than girls. At least mine is.  They need to run, climb, compete, jump, slide and throw. They build, drop, ride and run. The hard part about having an 11 year old boy is that I have never had one before. I’m learning, right along with everyone else.

Now, I’m not saying I’m perfect at parenting boys,  but, I have learned a few things about this stage in parenting boys that has really helped me- and I am so excited to share them with you!  Here we go!

5 Ways to Connect With Your Son

1. Play Board Games With Your Son

Whether it’s playing football, or chess, playing with your son will help you connect on new levels. I love playing card games, chess and one of our absolute favorites, Stratego! My son has legit been beating me at this game since he was 4 years old! And I was actually trying!! I have spent many an early summer morning drinking coffee, playing Stratego and laughing with my son.

2. Play Sports With Your Son

I can throw a mean spiral and it’s really impressive to my son….so every now and then we head outside and we toss the ball around. We also ride bikes and play pig. Men and boys connect while doing activities, so sports are a great way to connect without trying at all! Just spending time with them will build your connection.

3. Play Outside With Your Son

On Easter, our kiddos received some kites from a family friend and boy, did we have so much fun outside making them fly- or at least trying! The communication and team work that we had to have to make these bad boys fly was pretty intense. But once we got them in the air, we were jumping up and down and screaming, we were so excited! Working together on the same goal is a great way to connect with your son. You could also build something outside, swim or go to a playground. These are all great ways to connect outside with your son.

4. Cook With Your Son

My son loves to cook- I started letting him cook & bake with me while standing on a chair at a young age. He has a few favorites of things that he loves to cook- I bet your son has some favorites too. Cooking with kids can be a little more messy and time-consuming, but the bond that you create over stirring, chopping, baking and tasting your amazing food is worth the time and effort. If my son asks to help me while I am in a hurry, I let him know that another time would be better and then I make sure to make it happen. My son loves to make butter and requests making it around every 6 months. We have so much fun making butter and eating it with home made bread…its a special thing for us. He also loves to help with these super easy Cinnamon Rolls.

5. Listen to Your Son (and ask questions)

Sometimes boys use little words. I like to ask lots of questions and sometimes my son gets a little annoyed, but do you know what he knows??? He knows that his mom cares about him and wants to hear about his day and how he is doing. Asking questions and listening to the answer helps our kids know that they can talk to us about anything and that we want to hear it. The earlier we instill this into our kids, the better! Here are some of the questions I like to ask my son:

• What was the best part of your day?
• What was the worst part of your day?
• What was your favorite day this year? The answer will be sure to surprise you! Listen carefully to the answer and try to replicate that day this year! How loved will your son feel??
• Who was your favorite teacher and why?
• What is your favorite color and why?
• What is your favorite car?
• What kind of job do you want to have as a teenager?
• What college do you want to go to?
• What do you want to study in college?

These are just a few- these are just starter questions. Really anything more than the old, How was your day? is great!

When thinking about connecting with your son, what are some ways you have had success? I would love to hear your tips and tricks to connect with your son in the comments! Looking forward to hearing from you!