We don't always like our boys. 

It's a bit taboo to admit that. We parents -- moms especially! -- are somehow expected to always have lovey feelings for our children. And we do love them. But sometimes, we don't want to be around them. Sometimes, we want them to go away.

Parents who admit they don't like their kids, though, are often judged. That's not helpful, in our opinions. Here are ON BOYS, we're all about keeping it real, so we're going to talk about the unspeakable: What to do and how to cope when you don't like your boys.

(As if to prove our point, THESE are the pics an online picture repository brought up when we searched for "boys fighting frustrated mom":

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

REALLY???

Real life is much messier than these photos suggest, and it is perfectly OK if most of your moments with your boys don't look like this.

In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:

Unreasonable parenting expectations

How to learn and grow from uncomfortable parenting moments

Coping when your kids' behavior reminds you of your ex

Handling political differences

Jen's yard in Oct. '20

Knowing when to step away

Using physical touch to connect

When to seek outside help

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Family Meetings & the 9-Year Change -- ON BOYS episode mentioned at 11:55

The Art of Roughhousing -- ON BOYS episode

Sponsor Spotlight: Dr. Mary Wilde

Dr. Mary’s “Overcoming Childhood Anxiety” course — SPECIAL OFFER available to ON BOYS listeners

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