Boys, Boogers and Black Eyes

I’m excited to partner with Boogie Wipes for this story because 1. they’re my most favorite baby product ever and 2. they love hearing from everyday moms on how their natural products makes our lives just a little easier. Thanks for supporting the brands that support our voices!

Boys will be…. Good human beings? Considerate, self-aware and live with dignity? Yes, of course, we want our boys to be all those things. Absolutely I’m raising my son to experience the full scope of human emotions and am constantly challenging my perceptions of gender roles. But you want to know what else my boy is? A BOY!

When it comes to boy stereotypes, Sebastian is the prototype: constantly on the move, a bit self-centered, leaves no mound of dirt or creepy thing untouched and, almost always, super happy about life.

Not five days after his 5th birthday, my little boy came home from preschool with a giant black eye. Holy smokes, have you ever seen your baby’s face look like he’s been in a boxing ring?! I wanted to cry! It was a jarring experience, though Sebastian didn’t seem to care at all. If you ask him what happened, he casually reports that “the swing kicked him”. His teacher said he was knocked down and cried for a minute before jumping right back into play time with his friends, barely sitting long enough for the ice to cool his face.

In fact, while on vacation recently, he cried more at a lingering splinter he picked up while on a hike then he did at that swollen, black eye. I was so confused! Here I was, comforting my boy with a sliver of wood in his finger while strangers gawked at the black and blue that tainted his face. Am I the only mom who feels like they’re totally winging this boy mom life?

A splinter isn’t the only thing this wild boy picked up while on our beach vacation. Allergies got hold of him while we were away, which gave me the perfect opportunity to teach Sebastian a few things about general cleanliness to combat symptoms and boogers.

Things like not using your t-shirt as a tissue or that hand washing isn’t a complete waste of time. Or that daily baths are kind of a big deal. Also, when you’re inclined to touch everything around you, then also touching your face is maybe not the best choice. Yup, these are the kind of things you have to purposefully teach a little boy who is intent on living life at his speed.

During a trip to Target, I stocked up on a few of my favorite kid products to help combat his allergies. Boogie Wipes and Boogie Mist are a MUST when battling boy boogers. They naturally treat stuffy noses with saline and are ultra soft. I loved their article on treating allergy systems naturally and immediately started our saline mist routine at their recommendation. It’s really helped ease his snoring and all the icky boogers!

We’ve been using the wipes since he was an infant and, since he loves the smell, they’re the only thing he’ll use other than his shirt (ugh). Surprisingly, he doesn’t mind the mist at all and has been good about doing our nightly routine without complaint. I picked up bottles of Kandoo Foaming Handwash and bubble bath at Target to sweeten the deal and our bath time has been extra fun.

We’re finally on our way to beating these allergies!

It’s a Boy’s World, Moms Just Live In It!

My son is nothing if not ready to take on the world. He’s a power ranger and a marine biologist. He picks up snakes, meows like a kitten and cries when his feelings are hurt. And though he’s got a big personality, he isn’t immune to getting knocked down — obviously. There’s SO much that I have to teach him about life!

(Like not running behind the swings. And blowing his nose with Boogie Wipes, not his shirt.)

But I hope he never loses his intensity. He really is the center of the happiness in our family. I love to watch him live. I hope he learns to leverage his joy for good; to take that power inside him and offer it to the world in a positive way.

I just hope he learns to keep his body safe, healthy and… maybe a little clean, too.