Hilltown Families 
Snakes and Snails: Teenage Boys Tales
I Beg To Differ!
It started years ago when my boys were very young. Well-meaning moms at the playground, preschool and parks would cluck their tongues and sigh. After a few years of experiencing this over and over, I grew accustomed to what usually followed their wistful puffs of air. “You don’t know how lucky you are. Boys are SO much easier than girls.” I heard this statement so frequently that I began to believe the adage myself. Okay, perhaps I needed to believe it because as my boys grew older that ease promised to me by mothers of girls didn’t seem to exist in our world. My boys were NOT easy. Let me rephrase that, my boys ARE not easy. Even now at 16 and 13, Aidan and Gannan continue to challenge and test.
That isn’t to say that mothers of girls have it easier. In fact, when watching friends of mine blessed with children of that particular sex, I am convinced that they don’t. Therefore, I have decided that neither set of parents have a cake walk of any sort. It is just that the problems experienced by each are vastly different. I am sure you have heard of the book “Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus.” In that same venue we could say, “Sons are From Saturn, Daughters are from Jupiter.”
For instance, boys are not great communicators. I therefore find myself performing criminal-like fetes to get them to share SOMETHING about their lives with me. I find that captivity–say in a locked and moving car–gets me results. Boys are also physical and clumsy. I shudder to think about the money spent on new windows, furniture, paint for banged up walls and repair men for broken appliances. Heck, I’ve had to replace the curtains in Gannan’s room four times in the last year. (Don’t ask!) When the fourth set ripped, and the rod broke, I told him that I hoped he enjoyed the great outdoors because he’d be seeing it through his naked windows from now on. These are just a few examples of the adventures in raising boys, but of course there’s more! How about the sassiness that seems to appear out of nowhere the moment they set foot in high school? Oh! What about the incessant competition? Ugh. Don’t get me started. Those boys can make a contest out of anything. I once suggested that they each say a reason why they love their brother, and Aidan and Gannan’s conversation went something like this:
Aidan: Gannan, I love you because you don’t care if you take showers every day.
Gannan: Aidan, I love you because you don’t care that I have more friends than you.
Although it’s true that I have recently added a girl to our brood, for the sake of this column, I will be discussing, contemplating, and sometimes lamenting about my adolescent boys. Join me as I let you in on the challenging, funny and sometimes heart wrenching events with a boys’ spin that occur weekly, daily, hourly. Feel free to comment! We mothers of boys have got to stick together!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Logan has lived in Glens Falls, NY all her life. By day, she is an educator with 20 years experience, a mom to Aidan and Gannan, her two teenage boys, a new mommy to a beautiful daughter, Ila, and wife to the love of her life, Jeffrey. By night, weekends and any spare time she can find, Logan writes. She loves memoir and also adores writing essays about the challenges of parenthood. This year she started a parenting blog called A Muddled Mother, an honest place where mothers aren’t afraid to speak of the complications and difficulties that we all inevitably experience. Logan has been published in various children’s and parenting magazines including Today’s Motherhood, Eye on Education, Faces, and Appleseed.
I think my son and daughter were both hard to raise….different problems with each gender……Enjoy the reading of your adventures….
great info. jack is almost 8 (june 23rd) and wants a cell phone, perhaps i shall buy it!
I LOVE your writing & your sense of humor……….”wistful puffs of air”!!!! Ha!
Working in a pediatric office, I’ve heard both……girls are harder/boys are harder. The latter was true for me, which is why I can relate so well to your writings. Always look forward to more!
Love your articles, Logan. Be grateful the sass didn’t start until high school. I think my daughter started at birth!
Logan good job and great article.
Logan, After raising both, I must say that the challenges exist for both sons and daughters. I certainly had a double standard when raising mine who were 14 months apart. I’m sorry you weren’t writing 25 years ago!!
I always look forward to your articles. In the midst of raising 2 boys myself, I find myself laughing at our common experiences. Thanks for keeping us Moms connected! I will definitley keep reading!
Logan, I raised daughters. Note the past tense. At 30 and 33 years of age I think they may finally have reached adulthood, though sometimes I wonder. Girls are very challenging. They are not as physical – they are definitely more emotional.
I love your writing style – humorous and uplifting. Keep those articles coming.
I total agree, having raised 3 boys myself. Every day was a challenge. Especially getting them to talk. And yes locking them in a moving car was the only time I could have a serious conversation with them. Nice article, can’t wait to see more
This is a great inspiration to me as I sit on bedrest at home waiting for my firstborn “girl” to be born. It gives me some tips reading and loving your blog and now I can follow you here this was great Logan!Looking forward to reading more best of luck!!!!!
Love it, Logan!!! So true, having seen so many of both genders and ages ages come through my doors..the stories i could tell….
I HAVE A SON, JACK, AND I LOVE READING YOUR BLOGS ESPECIALLY THIS ONE! CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE.
I love how you make the normal everyday struggles we have seem funny–love this article as well as your blog. Can’t wait to read all you write.
Logan, you’re a pleasure to read… although I frequently find myself cringing at what lies ahead for me. Looking forward to reading more from you.
So True! I don’t have any sons from Saturn but I do I have sweet little daughters from Jupiter and the challenge is definately there! Can’t wait to hear more.
Really fun to read–can’t wait for more! I have enjoyed reading your Muddled Mother blog as well. Stay patient and keep laughing–you are a great mom!
I am the disheveled, single, mother of two boys myself (ages 3 3/4 and 2 1/2 years old) and I, too, have heard how lucky I am to have boys (because they are so much easier to raise). Frankly, your writings about the boys scare me a little, but I wouldn’t miss an article because, at least, you are forewarning me of what is to come… Love the articles!
Your writing is so honest and easy to relate to. Love it! Can’t wait for more!
I love your honesty and humor. I’m a big fan and will look forward to reading the next column!
I have heard this same thing – that boys are easier! I have a 2 year-old son – so I look forward to hearing what I am up against as he grows!
Great piece – look forward to more!!!
Humor and hard work, humor and hard work; the stuff of parenting. Thank you for reminding me of both! Great article!
I will follow your writing anywhere! As I have said before you have a way with words and putting it all in a story that people can relate to no matter what the topic. Keep up your entertaing and writing. That book will come sooner than you think.you really have a gift
Logan, being a boy myself I have to agree with you. I grew up with 7 sisters and I was the baby of the family. My parents were so thankful to have me…until I got to high school. They still comment about my “adventures” during that part of my life… Looking forward to reading more.
I am so looking forward to reading more! I am a huge fan of your blog as you know, and am excited to read your writing here as well.
What you say is sooooo true! I have one of each and both are a challenge! Loved your blog! Look forward to following you!!