Racquet Mom

Boys seek to be strong and powerful.  This shouldn't come as a surprise, but I have to remind myself that even young boys have these innate desires.  Our two oldest sons are constantly (I mean several times a day) trying to outmuscle each other. They wrestle, play tug of war with toys, chase, mock, kick and scream at each other. Occasionally, our two year old will win a power battle over the four year old. Oh boy, when that happens there is usually a counter attack of four year old rage. Our boys expel their aggressions on each other and I often feel there is no way to prevent this. I say to myself, isn't this what boys, especially brothers, are supposed to do? There are even times their father and I participate in playful games of who is stronger/better. Unintentionally, it's as if we are pitting them against each other. Who can kick the ball the farthest? Who can run the fastest? Who can lift the plastic chair and put it in the kitchen? I wonder if we are doing more harm ...

Our four year old recently received a bucket truck piggy bank from his grandparents. This new toy prompted him to ask us for coins to add to the bank. My husband and I quickly found ourselves explaining the concept of money to his ever developing young brain. Instantly, our son wished to earn money by doing chores around the house. The kid who can rarely be bribed to do anything suddenly was interested in cleaning his room, wiping down the toothpaste stains out of his bathroom sink and polishing the furniture. It got me thinking---how do you motivate a child? Are some kids intrinsically motivated? To our son, the idea of earning money to add to his piggy bank in order to buy a new sword is motivation enough. So far, it has been working. I haven't had to really motivate him to do much, and it has cost me very little to reward him at this age. I like the idea of instilling some responsibility and giving him a list of chores that are easy for him to accomplish. I don't expect our...

When I was younger, it was inconceivable that Spring would go by without baseball. I played Little League and/or school softball from age four through sixteen. Even when I wasn't on the diamond myself, I was tuning in to games either on my AM radio or television screen. Baseball was everything to me, especially during the Spring and Summer months growing up. I still equate hot summer days in New York with listening to Yankees or Mets games on the radio by the pool, backyard or balcony. The Spring/Summer of 2020 has shaken up much of our world, including professional sports. There aren't any baseball games to watch on television, except for the re-airing of ESPN classics. I admit to feeling a little more than sad about the fact that baseball is missing, but there are more important things we need to worry about right now during this global pandemic. I mostly am just disappointed that my four year old won't be able to finish his first year of tee ball. I'm upset that ...

My almost four year old is suddenly curious where babies come from. He is pressing to know not only where but how they get out of mommy's tummy. I delicately explain to him that the nice doctors and nurses at the hospital help the baby come out. The answer doesn't quite satisfy his ever inquiring mind right away, so I inform him that God helps. The conversation then turns to why I wanted to have a baby. I tell him I wanted to have a baby to love, that daddy and I asked God to give us a family and him a little brother or two. "You wanted a little boy just like me?" he queries. "I wanted you, yes. I still want you," I reply. "You mean you asked God for a brown haired boy named Brendan?" he continues. "Well, I prayed for a baby and God gave us the perfect baby boy---you!" I express endearingly. His puzzling expression turns into a relaxed face. I can tell he's still thinking a mile a minute though. "Can I go back inside your t...

I became a mother in 2016. Before then, the only thing that came close to being held like a baby in my life was my tennis racquet. Tennis was my everything before I met my husband and these little people we lovingly created. I'm a soon-to-be mother of three boys. I can't tell you what it's like raising three boys yet, but I have insight on raising two. This blog will follow my journey as I set sail on bringing up a trio of sons, all currently under the age of five. If boys bring anything to our busy lives, it's entertainment and the element of surprise. Children in general change us in ways we never imagined before. Just this morning I found myself wearing a storm trooper mask pretending to stave off an evil robot made of lava. My four year old spends most of his mommy time creating such escapades for us. Meanwhile in the other room, my almost two year old climbed into his firetruck bed and attempted to jump off, fearing nothing at all. Then he smiled at me with his ...