It’s February. The hustle and bustle of the holidays (and, OK, excuse to consume large quantities of wine and cheese) are well behind us. As such, moms everywhere are now in the throes of keeping their little ones entertained — indoors. And when they aren’t doing this, they are cringing at the thought of bundling them up to leave the house for school drop-offs or grocery store runs.
If your kids are anything like mine, they’ve already started to mutter the dreaded phrase, “I’mmm borrrred,” over and over and over again — probably while standing in front of their mountain of still-new holiday toys. And if you’re anything like me, it’s at this point that you’ll give them some serious side-eye and remind them that it’s never too late to pick up that mountain or donate it all.
The only one who’s not complaining of boredom around here is my little guy. Mostly because he can’t talk (or perhaps can’t be bothered to), and likes to point at things and grunt instead. Trust me, I know the “use your words” routine well, but by Kid No. 3, well … let’s just say, I don’t have much time for it these days.
Even if he was talking though, he wouldn’t tell me he’s bored. He’s never bored. That’s because my son Nolan has found his favorite toy, and he’s never letting it go. Ever.
While chaos erupts in the house, my son will just watch it all unfold while playing quietly with this toy. He plays with it when we go out in public, as he sits in the car, and even while he drifts off too sleep. I’m serious — he plays with it everywhere.
You see, he was born with his favorite toy; it’s attached to him. And he will stop at nothing to put his hands down his pants to get to it. And I know their affection for each other will only grow stronger.
Having two older girls before our son came along, I was not prepared for this. Like, at all. Sure, I’d heard the stories, and listened to my fellow Boy Moms recount their anecdotes. But, I never fully got it until now. It’s a powerful connection. So much so, that my 6-year-old made this sign to hang in the living room:
In an attempt to pay it forward, here’s a gentle warning for all of you moms and moms-to-be of little boys: One day, sooner than you think, your sweet little angel is going to find his prize possession. And when he does, he will hang on to it like his life depends on it whenever the opportunity presents itself.
He will pull it straight up, and pee all over your freshly cleaned floors. He will grunt and growl at you when you try to pull his hand off of it.
So boy moms, feel free to put the remote control car back on the store shelf when his first birthday rolls around. Save your money for more wine and cheese. After all, you’ve given your son his absolute favorite toy at birth — and it didn’t cost a penny! Plus, here’s one more upside: At least it’s one you don’t have to pick up off your living room floor 15 times a day.