baby thoughts: lessons for our little boy

I did a lessons for our girl when Liv was still hanging out in my tummy, so it was only appropriate to do a lessons for our little boy the second time around. With a baby boy it’s different. My focus on our little boy is to be a kind human being that is respectful and knows how to treat a lady. There is something different when I think about the fact that Justin and I are going to be raising a little boy who will someday become a man. While I desperately wanted Liv not to be a bratty kid, with a boy I want desperately for him to be a gentleman.

Lesson #1: Education

Just like our wish list for our little girl, education is also big for our little boy. School is so important and I want to make sure that we do everything we can to set him up for a future he can be successful in. It’s probably why we are struggling to find a name that will fit him. While we want his name to be someone who is a “nice guy”, we want the name to also sound great as the president of a reputable company (even if it’s his own).

Lesson #2: Bilingual

It’s been tougher than I thought to get our little girl to speak more Spanish, and I think it’s because 99% of what she’s exposed to is in English. I can talk to her in Spanish all day long, but when daddy comes home or when she’s at her grandparents house (on either side), it’s English all day long. I thought my mom would be my right hand in speaking to her only in Spanish, but it’s surprisingly not been the case. I have to keep in mind that while we were growing up, Spanish is her native language, and while I grew up learning both, living here with an English-speaking spouse and friends gives in to a different environment. We have plenty of books that are bilingual, and I do my best to reference objects and people in Spanish, but it’s been an uphill battle.

Lesson #3: A Gentleman

This is a big one. My dad is old-fashioned when it comes to how to treat a lady, (it also probably has to do with the fact that he’s got a sister and three daughters) and while it can seem a bit overboard to some (especially in the American culture- not so much in the Italian or Mexican culture), I love that he’s been taught to be chivalrous in respect to women. The idea of “taking care” of women in respect to opening doors, walking them to their cars/house, making sure they get home OK, and even paying a the end of a meal are all things that, in this day in age, seems contradictory to the stance of equality for women, but to me is a sign of a man who respects and takes the time to care for women.

Lesson #4: Well-Mannered

Please, thank you, excuse me- all day, everyday. I take pride in the fact that I currently do this with our little girl. You want some milk? Say please. Daddy gave you a snack? Say thank you. Mya in front of you? Say excuse me. I wanted to start this early on with Liv so that it becomes second nature to her and she gets older and let me tell you, the unprompted thank you’s and please’s are music to my ears. Hopefully she’ll be able to help me in training our little boy to do the same thing.

So that’s it. Our little wish list for our little boy!