My Boys Are All I Need

A Gift for Mom! 🤍

I used to imagine my imaginary daughter and me in matching white dresses running hand-in-hand through a field of wildflowers. I imagined us laughing as we put flowers in each other’s hair and lying on our backs reading books or watching the clouds go by.

I never really imagined trekking through fields to look for bugs or snakes or stopping to splash in every mud puddle with my little boys. I never imagined snuggly storytimes being interrupted by wrestling matches and pillow fights.

RELATED: My Heart Was Waiting For a Son

I’ve always been pretty calm, quiet, and peaceful. As a little girl, I loved climbing trees and exploring but also tranquilly playing with my dolls and toys. I never imagined living in a house full of boys who are usually loud, boisterous, and full of enviable energy.

Sometimes it’s difficult and draining, but the joy is often contagious and awakens life inside of me I didn’t know was missing.

I used to think I wasn’t the right type of person to be a boy mom, but slowly, I’m learning I am what they need and they are what I need.

Sometimes I am the anchor, and they are the storm. When their ever-changing emotions rain down, I’m a shelter that’s safe and warm for them. Sometimes they are the wind that pushes me forward. They give me the courage and boldness to soar to places I wouldn’t have thought to venture before.

RELATED: My Son Made Me Fall in Love with Being a Boy Mom

I might not ever be as loud or daring and free as they are. I may often feel like I can barely keep up. But I’m the stability they need, the listening ear that will try to hang on every word.

I’ll help them learn to regulate their feelings and piece back together little worlds that have fallen apart.

I’ll be the one backing them up, cheering them on as they run ahead. I will be there to hold them when they go a bit too fast and fall down. And then I’ll gently encourage them to get back up and finish strong.

They’ll make me laugh louder and play with more abandon. They’ll teach me the joy of self-forgetfulness as I get lost in the wonder of who they are.

RELATED: I Was Made to be a Boy Mom and I Wouldn’t Want it Any Other Way

Right now while they’re small, they always gravitate back toward me—that magnetic pull toward mommy that little ones posses.

But I know, as they grow and chase their unique dreams, that pull will gradually disappear until they rarely look back toward me at all.

RELATED: He’s a Boy For Just a Little While Longer

One day, they may run to the arms of another girl. And I hope they will know how to listen to her, how to be gentle, and when to be calm. I hope they will have learned to be joyful and wild while being considerate and yielding to others. I hope they will know how to be an anchor and how to soar.

I never imagined myself as a boy mom, but now I know it’s who I was meant to be. I don’t need to change who I am or change them to be like me.

So I’ll hold them close, then set them free. And I’ll trust these little moments will reach much further than I see.

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Stephanie Kramm

I'm a wife and homeschool mama of four adventurous boys and two miscarried babies I look forward to holding in Heaven. I enjoy music, art, and rare quiet moments in nature with a book and some chai. My Master’s is in counseling and I am passionate about advocating for at-risk women and children around the globe. I’m a contributing writer for the facebook pages Snips & Snails & Warrior Tales and this mere breath.

I Finally Admitted I Didn’t Want To Be a SAHM Anymore

In: Motherhood

For most of my life, I believed becoming a stay-at-home mom wasn’t just a choice, it was the ultimate goal. The kind of life a “good” woman was meant to want. The kind of life that meant you were doing things right. I grew up surrounded by that message. In conservative spaces, in church circles, in subtle conversations about what a “real” mother looked like. Women who stayed home were praised. Women who didn’t were quietly questioned. I learned, without ever being directly told, that a mother’s highest purpose was to center her entire world around her children and her...

Keep Reading

I’m Not Really Sure How To Do This Teenager Thing

In: Motherhood, Teen

I was not prepared to be a mother of teenagers. Sure, I was warned by other parents about the difficult journey I was about to embark on, but I did not expect it to be this challenging. I remember these two sweet, innocent children who wanted to be with me all the time. Now they barely give me the time of day. How did we get here? Like many parents, we long to have that child who once, a long time ago, called us Mommy and Daddy and begged us to read them another story. Where are those kids I...

Keep Reading

Why Don’t We Talk About Jonah’s Mother?

In: Faith, Living, Motherhood

Praying for My Son Send a storm to stop him; Let his friends throw him out. May he drop to the deeps, But gently, please, Stubborn though he may be. If it could only take three days, How my mother’s heart would Rejoice in praise. From the hell you allow him, Let him cry to you. Is not Nineveh and mercy Exactly what he knows He needs— A mercy on enemies He fears You will concede? Please let all the shade wither If his is an angry soul; Humble him and help him follow Where you would have his purpose...

Keep Reading

To the Mom Worrying She’s Not Doing Enough This Summer

In: Motherhood

It’s only the second week of summer, and, thanks to modern-day social media, I feel like I’ve already seen it all. Picture-perfect beach getaways, color-coded bucket lists, backyard neighborhood movie nights, you name it. And if I’m being honest, I’ve already caught myself wondering if I’m doing enough. More than once, at that. As a solo mom of two, I’m still adjusting to our new norm while trying desperately to delicately let go of any expectations tied to all of our past experiences…including summer vacations. I’m reminding myself that our summers won’t look like they used to. At least not...

Keep Reading

Your Worth As a Mother Is Not Defined By How You Feed Your Baby

In: Baby, Motherhood

I’m not breastfeeding my baby. I wanted to. And I was able to for the first several weeks of her life. But as the days went on, I could tell it wasn’t enough for her anymore, so we started supplementing. And sure enough, without warning, she began screaming through nursing sessions, but was satisfied with a bottle. And that’s when I knew what I needed to do. A similar situation also happened with my first. She didn’t gain her birth weight back on my milk alone, so I had no choice but to supplement right away. And before I knew...

Keep Reading

A Mother’s Love Doesn’t End When Her Kids Move Out

In: Motherhood

When my last sibling moved out of the house, I watched my mom struggle in a quiet, almost unspoken way. It wasn’t something dramatic or visible; it was something I could feel in her presence. For 40 years, her life had revolved around taking care of us—my siblings and me. Every season of her life had been shaped around our needs, our schedules, our milestones, and our growing up. Being a mom wasn’t just something she did. It was who she was—the structure of her days, the cadence of her thoughts, and the center of her purpose. So when the...

Keep Reading

The Hardest Part of Divorce Is Being Away from My Kids

In: Living, Marriage, Motherhood

I’ve written several times about how divorce has allowed me to find myself again, and how that version is even better than the one I was before I was married. All of that is still true. I am happier than I’ve ever been. More confident and sure of myself. I understand my emotions and how to handle myself when things get tough or scary. I am more grounded and calm than I’ve ever been. Truly, I have come out on top. I’ve received comments about how happy I look, how I’m “living my best life with kids only half the...

Keep Reading

I May Let Go of the Baby Things, but I’ll Hold the Memories Forever

In: Baby, Motherhood

Woman looking through closet of baby items

It’s easy to think of multiple sayings and mottos about how invaluable earthly possessions are. “It’s not what you have, but who you share it with” “Worry less about things and more about experiences” “Who cares what you have, you can’t take it with you when you go” And trust me, I know these to be true. I am not a hoarder of hotel pens or mini shampoo bottles or every receipt and coaster from my favorite restaurants. I don’t care much for name-brand shoes or designer purses, yet there are a few things I just can’t easily let go...

Keep Reading

Mom Showed Us Love that Lasts

In: Motherhood

Vintage photo of mother and three young kids

We moved a few years ago, and we had a closet that needed some reworking. In doing so, my husband found some old photos. He pulled out an album that held this vintage photo of my mom, my sisters, and me. It was probably circa 1983 when prints were made from Kodak. I actually don’t remember seeing the photo before. But I love it. In the photo, my mother’s eyes are shut with a blink because those were the days when blinks weren’t edited. It’s beautiful, and I can’t stop thinking about the captured connection. She was showing us something...

Keep Reading

This Is How I’m Raising My Sensitive Son

In: Motherhood

When I was pregnant with my son, everyone warned me of what was to come. “Just you wait,” they’d say with an underlying schadenfreude, “you’ll never sleep again.” I fully expected sleep-deprived days and long, unrelenting nights, calming my son down from tantrums, trying to keep the peace with my marriage. But I got lucky—my son sleeps through the night, doesn’t throw tantrums, and my marriage is stronger than ever. I didn’t expect that, especially because I struggle with my own mental health and assumed I’d be in the weeds during my postpartum period. Now that my son is almost...

Keep Reading

A Funeral Luncheon For 120

Grief

A Funeral Luncheon For 120

My Kids Taught Me the Best Things in Life Aren't Planned

Fatherhood

RELATED: My Heart Was Waiting For a Son

Sometimes it’s difficult and draining, but the joy is often contagious and awakens life inside of me I didn’t know was missing.

RELATED: My Son Made Me Fall in Love with Being a Boy Mom

I’ll help them learn to regulate their feelings and piece back together little worlds that have fallen apart.

RELATED: I Was Made to be a Boy Mom and I Wouldn’t Want it Any Other Way

Right now while they’re small, they always gravitate back toward me—that magnetic pull toward mommy that little ones posses.

RELATED: He’s a Boy For Just a Little While Longer

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Stephanie Kramm

I Finally Admitted I Didn’t Want To Be a SAHM Anymore

I’m Not Really Sure How To Do This Teenager Thing

Why Don’t We Talk About Jonah’s Mother?

To the Mom Worrying She’s Not Doing Enough This Summer

Your Worth As a Mother Is Not Defined By How You Feed Your Baby

A Mother’s Love Doesn’t End When Her Kids Move Out

The Hardest Part of Divorce Is Being Away from My Kids

I May Let Go of the Baby Things, but I’ll Hold the Memories Forever

Mom Showed Us Love that Lasts

This Is How I’m Raising My Sensitive Son

Get It Now

So God Made a Mother

My Boys Are All I Need

Sometimes it’s difficult and draining, but the joy is often contagious and awakens life inside of me I didn’t know was missing.

I’ll help them learn to regulate their feelings and piece back together little worlds that have fallen apart.

Right now while they’re small, they always gravitate back toward me—that magnetic pull toward mommy that little ones posses.

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

I Finally Admitted I Didn’t Want To Be a SAHM Anymore

I’m Not Really Sure How To Do This Teenager Thing

Why Don’t We Talk About Jonah’s Mother?

To the Mom Worrying She’s Not Doing Enough This Summer

Your Worth As a Mother Is Not Defined By How You Feed Your Baby

A Mother’s Love Doesn’t End When Her Kids Move Out

The Hardest Part of Divorce Is Being Away from My Kids

I May Let Go of the Baby Things, but I’ll Hold the Memories Forever

Mom Showed Us Love that Lasts

This Is How I’m Raising My Sensitive Son

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like