Raising children in our current world can be hard, heavy, and complicated. I love a great reason to celebrate something light and easy, and National Sons Day is perfect for that!
National Sons Day was created in 2018 by Jill Nico as a day to celebrate sons and the people who raise them. I have two sons of my own — Liam and August. Raising them has been one of the greatest joys of my life. As I pause to celebrate both the boys they are and the men I hope they become, here are a few things we work to instill in their minds and hearts daily.
Say Bye to Gender Stereotypes
In our house, there are no strict gender roles. My husband does most of the cooking, and we have always encouraged the boys to help in the kitchen. I’m generally in charge of cleaning the house, but we all chip in. No one has a specific job, and we all do our part.
I have coached their basketball and soccer teams. I love that my boys think this is just how it is. It can be challenging, as coaching young boys is commonly a male-dominated job, but it doesn’t bother me. I want my boys to understand that mommy can do everything that a man can do. Men are not limited to traditionally “male” tasks.
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No Quitting
I feel like our kids have tried every sport and extracurricular under the sun (even though I know that’s not true), and each new activity brings challenges. Sometimes things are harder than we planned. Sometimes we are not having as much fun as we’d hoped. Worst of all, sometimes you’re not as good at something as you thought. Despite those feelings, we have told the boys they must finish what they start — no matter what it is.
New Experiences
One of the big things we focus on with our boys is trying new things. That could be a new restaurant, a new sport, a new fun place, or even a new series to watch together. I love that they welcome these new experiences as part of our life — and even seek out new things themselves. They know we try something at least once (and sometimes we decide that once was enough!).
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I Love You
If you polled my kids right now, they would tell you that I say “I love you” more than anything else to them.
Dropping off at school? I love you.
Hanging up on the phone? I love you.
Texting after track practice? I love you.
My kids have even begun beating me to the punch and saying it before I do. Is it a huge deal? No. But do my kids know I love them? Heck yes, they do. Throw in an excessive number of hugs, and you get it. I want my kids to know I love them no matter what, all the time. I want them to be comfortable telling those closest to them that they love them, too!
What better time to celebrate your sons than on National Sons Day? Take them out for ice cream or spend time doing something new together to celebrate. No matter what, you’re making new memories with your young men, and they will never forget that!
