Times Change

Yesterday I brought Lil Man's newest school picture to work. I have a small picture frame on my desk that says "I Love (actually it's a heart) Mom" on the top. He gave it to me for Mother's Day about 5 years ago. Each time I get a recent picture I take it to work and cover up the old one with the new. Yesterday I did this and decided to look at the old pictures I have saved in that frame and my wallet.

Wow.

I'm going to show you the pictures of my son as I looked at them. They are not great pictures because they're scanned, but you'll get the point. It's kind of amazing to me that so much time has passed so quickly and and to see the physical differences.

7th grade:

6th grade:

5th grade:
4th grade:

3rd grade (I think):
2nd grade:
1st grade:
Kindergarten:
Mother's Day 2000:
3yrs old:

Look at my little muffin! I just want to give him a giant hug after seeing these. Looking at his little pictures makes my heart ache. His kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade pictures are a few of my favorites. Of course, I love him in all of these pictures for one reason or another. Fact of the matter is, my little man is growing up and will be just a man someday.

Seeing his pictures and realizing how much he seems to have grown, even from his Spring picture to this most recent fall one, prompted conversation between me and Hubbs. We talked about the changes we've been noticing in Lil Man and speculated that it wouldn't be long before some of the more significant changes started taking place. You know, his first wet dream and hair growing in places--things like that. He's already been asking when he's going to get "hair on his balls".

(Yeah, I know it's not exactly the kind of thing you want to read about, but it's my for real life right now. As a parent I have to be able to talk about these things, and as a blogger I've tried to be real for better or worse. Maybe my candor will help some other parents or parents-to-be become more prepared for what's ahead. Trust me, these topics are WAY worse for me right now than they are for you. I have to deal with the reality that he could be sexually active in a few short years. *shudder*)

Hubbs described to me a typical, horrifying experience in which his parents gave him a book about puberty and growing up written by Ann Landers. (Ann Landers talking to a boy about growing up?!?) I know this can be traumatizing enough, but his parents then made him read the book and discuss each chapter with them as he completed it. Mortifying. To make things worse Hubbs later found out that his brother did not suffer the same fate as he did. He was spared the read-and-share experience. Poor, poor Hubbs.

I know Lil Man will have questions that he won't feel comfortable asking me. He'll probably ask Hubbs about stuff that relates to boys and what happens to them. I still want to be informed and ready in case he does feel comfortable talking to me. I also want him to have factual information available in the event that he's not ready to talk to either of us. What to do, what to do?

I'm considering buying him a book to read and letting him know that he can read it if he wants to, but he doesn't have to. He also would not be forced to talk to us about the contents of the book unless he wanted to. This gives him better information than the pubescent knuckle heads he's talking to at school, gives me a source of reference on what boys go through as they grow up, and leaves the door open for him to ask questions as, or if, he feels comfortable. Sort of a good compromise, no?

What do you think? Any other suggestions for what to do that won't scar him for life? I'd love to hear the male opinion if any of you male lurkers are willing to share. I'd love to hear what all my readers think about this one.