Boys and sticks

In the book that I'm currently reading, Dr. James Dobson, gives oodles and oodles of great information on raising boys. I've been "raising boys" for almost four years now, but never have I looked at raising boys from a perspective like this. I'm really enjoying taking a step back from my parenting and seeing all the different forces that are currently playing small roles in my boys/ lives, but sure enough, they will one day (probably) play larger roles, thus having greater influences.

One fact that Dr. Dobson did bring up was the obvious raising-little-boys-are-different-from-raising-little-girls aspect. He spoke a lot about this, actually. He mentioned that they need crazy amounts of daddy time (girls, too, but in a different way, of course), they would (sad!) pull away from their mothers around the ages of 3-5, and that each boy is equipped with what he calls a "stick-beating gene." Hilarious!

I have long known about the gene, but didn't really know it "existed." My boys are drawn to sticks, and they always have been. Since they could walk outside around the yard independently, they would turn their stick radar on, find one, and beat, hit, smack anything around. The morning after I read this chapter in the book, I took these pictures...

Cash's stick-beating gene in full force.

Here he is taking a whack at the trees in the yard. Notice little brother doing the same.

Love my lil' man! There's plenty to do; play with his machines, ride his tricycle, go to the woodpile and play. But nah, it's a stick-beating kind of day!

After reading about this gene, it makes me proud to know that my boys are true, 100% boys!

Although he doesn't have quite the aim as big brother, he still exercises his stick-beating gene, too.

It was a perfect day for it, too! But really, what day isn't good for beating everything in sight with a stick? :)

Although I know there's actually no true gene encoded for beating things with sticks, it's obvious to me that boys are wired in such a way that grabbing anything, really, carrying it around, and sometimes using it as a club, bat, etc. comes very natural to them!