But here’s the funny<\/strong> part for me as a girl mom: You can give me any<\/em> “boy” characteristic, and it fits my youngest daughter to a T.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, at 18 months, her favorite game was (and still is) to walk up to her older sisters, turn around, and pretend to fart in their faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I’d tell my friends, “My youngest is the same way!” Thinking we’d bond over the common ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And they’d give me a half smile in a way that said, You don’t understand.<\/em> Or they’d say, “Well, boys are just different.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth<\/strong> is that I haven’t mothered a boy 24-7, so maybe I don’t<\/em> understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I learned to stop saying, “My kid does that too!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n My toddler is a slow-to-warm kiddo, so it’s rare for her to show her true colors to someone she sees just once in a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But eventually, she does and my friends who are moms of boys get to see what my toddler is really<\/strong> like…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n And our girl Charlie changes my friends’ minds. Because as it turns out, sometimes being a “boy mom” looks a lot like being a “girl mom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is when my friends start admitting<\/strong> things to me. They tell me…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related: The Secret to Raising Your Kids to Be Kind<\/a> {Printable}<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When we call ourselves “boy moms” and “girl moms,” are we drawing a line in the sand between us so that one person is made to feel like she doesn’t “get it”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, here’s a little snippet of a conversation on my Facebook page between boy moms and girl moms when I shared a “boy mom” article with the comment that my girls can be the same way:<\/p>\n\n\n Everywhere you turn, articles and blogs and social media posts divide parents into camps<\/em>. Breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding. C-section versus natural. Co-sleeping versus sleep training. On and on and on.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n “Boy mom” vs. “girl mom” is just one more<\/strong> camp that can drive a wedge between us when we’re trying to bond over shared experiences as parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we stop letting these labels drive us apart, what we may find is that those of us in different “camps” aren’t that different after all. As parents, we struggle with many of the same things, day in and day out. From feeling overwhelmed<\/a> to handling temper tantrums<\/a> to figuring out how to get Sharpie off the walls. (Yep, girls do that too.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even if a “girl mom” or a “boy mom” doesn’t “get it” sometimes? If she’s your friend, she’ll listen and try to understand where you’re coming from, no matter<\/strong> whether your kids happen to have one particular body part in common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She won’t stick her fingers in her ears and say, “You have boys and I have girls, so I’m not listening to yoooooou!” Or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can be a proud “boy mom” or “girl mom” (or co-sleeper or bottle-feeder) but still<\/strong> stay open to hearing about your fellow parents’ experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we reach down and cover up that line in the sand? This is what happens…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can ask my friends what to do when my toddler drags the dining room chairs all over the house to climb on stuff, and my friends with climbers will share tried-and-true<\/strong> advice. (Bungee cords!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my friend’s son is struggling with another kid saying mean things at school, I can listen, let her know she’s not alone, and offer examples of what worked when my daughter was in the same situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can get our kids together to play matchbox cars, pick out books at the library, take turns on the zip line at the park, or play dress-up – or all of the above<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can commiserate over the fact that after buying four dozen eggs on Monday they’re all gone by Thursday, that the knees in kids’ jeans are never<\/em> strong enough, that our kids are always loudest when we try to make a phone call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can bond over our shared experiences, empathize with each other, and lift each other up – instead<\/strong> of focusing on labels and camps that drive us apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can connect over the kid-ness of our kids, and that’s not only enough – that’s everything<\/em>. Because if you have any hacks for removing Sharpie from carpet, I need all the help I can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/happyyouhappyfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/moms-of-boys-toddler.jpg\")
Let Me Explain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Then They See Her in Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/happyyouhappyfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/moms-of-boys-charlie-med.jpg\")
\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/happyyouhappyfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/how-to-stop-relational-aggression-sad-boy.jpg\")
The Real Difference Between Moms of Boys and Moms of Girls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/happyyouhappyfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/moms-of-boys-facebook.png\")
![\"When](\"https:\/\/happyyouhappyfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/moms-of-boys-friends.jpg\")
Because This is the Magic We’re Missing Out On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you go, get my FREE cheat sheet: 75 Positive Phrases Every Child Needs to Hear<\/a><\/h6>\n\n\n