The former girly-girl raising a boy

I was a bit of a girly-girl when I was little. (That's me in the bonnet at the top of the page.) I wore dresses every day to school, my socks had little ruffles, pink was my favorite color, I owned a plethora of Barbie dolls and my room looked like Laura Ashley exploded in it. My life goals included becoming a ballerina.

Was part of this my Mother's doing? Probably. (Also: Sorry, Mom!) I don't remember being involved in a lot of the dress or design choices. But I did like pink.

I have an older brother, so I had a vague sense of what boys were like. I distinctly remember thinking: Mostly gross.

But now I am a Mom to a little boy. And, for the record, he is not gross. He is chaotic, and smart, and silly (even with all the potty humor) and fun. But, sometimes I don't know how to relate to him and all his...boyness.

So, I watch other Moms of boys very carefully, and I see what they do to connect with their sons. Because I have a feeling that some of them were once girly-girls, too.

In thinking about my different experiences growing up, I came across this series of articles on How to Raise a Boy. And I am fascinated. The articles on guns, violence, sex, responsibility, respect and video games are like a laundry list of everything I've wondered about...topics that were not necessarily covered in my girl upbringing.

Of course, like all parents, I know that my son doesn't come with an instruction manual. Some of the advice I read will stick; other advice will fall short. But the point is that I keep learning more about this amazing little guy and try to keep up with him at every phase.

What advice do you have about raising a boy? Tell me your tips in the comments.