Thursday, June 3, 2010

How to become a perfect man

I hope my son grows up to be a perfect gentleman. He seems on the right path but here is how I know he will at least become a perfect man:

1. When I cut off all my hair, the first thing my tiny son said when he saw me was, “You look really pretty, Mommy.”

2. Leaving a building, he stood in front of me struggling with the giant door. When I asked if he needed help he said, “No, I am trying to open the door for you.”

3. I put on a new dress last weekend and he said, “You look really great in that dress, Mommy.”

4. When talking about his day yesterday and what was his favorite part, he put on his sunglasses and said, “Please don’t talk anymore, Mommy.”

A gentleman in many ways and yet …I thought the mere sound of a woman’s voice did not begin to grate on the auditory nerve of males until they were much, much older. How clearly unwise I am.

68 comments:

mommakin said...

Aw, perfection is overrated.If he can be a very good gentleman - three out of four ain't bad - I think he - and the generation of women with whom he will be socializing - will be just fine.

Anonymous said...

You can only do so much, Jenny..... I mean, he does have the "boy" genetics!

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Oh what fun you have ahead of you!!!!! I'd like to be a fly on the wall.

As they get older and it becomes more important not to give them any sign that you're amused, it gets harder and harder.

Apparently, the only thing guaranteed to become easier is the tendency to want to boot them in the butt now and again.

Maria said...

Of my three boys, my middle son is the one who compliments me, takes the time to notice the small changes like a manicure or makeup.

My oldest son will rush to hold open the door for me and strangers.

My youngest is an endless fountain of affection.

But they all have the man trait: it is like an automatic shut off when I ask them to talk about anything!

Great post!

Jen said...

My oldest boy has a lot of those qualities, and he's a quiet one - which in my mind, makes him just about perfect too! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, everybody needs quiet time now and again right? That is so funny!

Dual Mom said...

At least he said please....

SmartBear said...

That's so funny...mine is 3 and he likes to cross his arms and say "I don't want to talk about it."
Boys...I will admit that I love having a boy and if I could guarantee having only boys, I might have another.
Best,
Tina

Slamdunk said...

Good man.

It was not your voice as much as he wanted to enjoy the Kansas tunes that the Mr. had blaring on the car stereo.

Jennifer said...

Reminds me of my son. He loves to watch our family photos pop up on the screensaver. One time a picture of me, dolled up for a night out, appears and he exclaims, "Mommy! Look at you... You're BEAUTIFUL!". I about melted. What amazes me as a parent is how much we have to consciously teach him to make sure he turns out alright, like not to be bossy, not to brag, to be kind to one another, etc. But some things, they just pick up all on their own, like these gentlemanly qualities. And some things, are just part of the package, like his joking playful spirit. The trick is figuring it all out. It's a fun journey and watching him grow into the little man is one of my favorite parts of life. :)

Intense Guy said...

Please give MiniMac my thanks for the great tips. I can use these.

:)

Oh wait, you mean I shouldn't do number 4?

Unknown said...

Hugs to MiniMac. He's adorable!

Unknown said...

So cute! Good job, Mommy!

Mrs. M said...

I think 1-3 speak volumes about how you two are as parents. And #4 shows how good his manners as since he did say "please". I think he is going to turn out just fine. :)

Confessions of a Mother, Lawyer & Crazy Woman said...

ADORABLE! I once read a quote from somewhere (?) that said, "To meet the perfect man, I had to give birth to him." Or something along those lines ... thanks for the smile this morning.

Jennifer Vanderbeek said...

Hey, we all need to decompress a little after a long day :)

BigSis said...

So cute. As a single mom I try really hard to teach my son things that will help him to be a good man. And, when you hear things like, "You look really pretty." I'd say you are doing a great job!

Anonymous said...

It sounds like he Mini has some really great role models!

B was around 3 when he began asking "Can we not talk now mommy?" when I try to explain something to him. Thank goodness for those "you look pretty mommy" moments! With words like that how can we NOT make them momma's boys???

IASoupMama said...

What a polite little man! Good job, mama!

Johana Hill said...

You're doing a good job I'm sure! Bless you and your cute family! ;p

TKW said...

That last item on your list made me laugh out loud.

Gretchen said...

Very cute. And, when I cut off MY hair, the first thing my son said to ME was, "Mommy, you look like a boy."

What a boost for the ol' self-confidence, eh?

carissa said...

haha hilarious! And as much as you want him to be, no man- by their very nature is perfect.

ellen abbott said...

Oh yes, little boys are so sweet. It won't last.

Kristina P. said...

So honest and yet, still adorable.

Cranky Mommy said...

Is he freakin' cute or what?!

Unknown said...

You got to have his dad sit down and have a talk with him. If he wants to score big points with the ladies, he's got to at least pretend to care when his lady talks.

Allyson & Jere said...

This is adorable! There is nothing better than a tiny little one trying to do or say "adult" like things. He sounds fabulous! Loving his need for silence. Don't we all feel this way?

Kristen said...

What a cutie!

At least he warned you that he wasn't planning to listen. Not all men are as courteous :-)

obladi oblada said...

How cute is that? It sounds like he has been watching a fantastic role model...kudos to JohnnyMac.

sitting on the mood swing at the playground said...

He could teach a lot of grownups about manners. How adorable that he said please when he wanted quiet time.

Leah Rubin said...

What??? He said 'please', and he addressed you by name! Two big plusses, and by putting on the sunglasses, he was clearly indicating the need to limit his sensory intake. (I made that up.)

He's such a little doll, and with the first three points, he definitely earned a free pass on #4.

Hugs to him, and to you and the hubster for teaching him so well!

L.

Cara Smith said...

He said please...that was still gentlemanly, right?

Herding Cats said...

Hey, at least he said "please"!!! I hear a lot of kids that tell their mothers to shut up. Now I don't have kids, but if I did, that would be a week of being grounded. He sounds so cute!

janis said...

Awe! Sounds like his Momma is raising him well!

foxy said...

Hahahaha... that's funny right there. Isn't that phrase required by boys of his age?? ;)

Sounds like ya'll are doing a fantastic job of showing him the "gentleman" ropes. His future wife will be so grateful.

Writing Without Periods! said...

Aw, how lovely. He probably gets it from you and that great hubby who can bar be que!
Mary

brokenteepee said...

Awww, little ubercooldude with manners.
What more could a mom ask?

Nancy C said...

Oh, how funny! Mine also dismisses me with a curt, "Busy, Mommy."

Thankfully, he'll tell me that I'm pretty.

Fair trade.

Caty said...

oh, he sounds like a great kid! And already a gentleman with honesty too :) I'm sure you can take credit for his sweetness...I wish more parents would take the time to teach and model for their kids! BTW, I just baked those sea salt caramel brownies and I can't wait to try them with my beach buddies this weekend!!

Marcy said...

Someone else commented on this as well...that he probably learned when to give a compliment from hearing/seeing them given in his life. You both are great parents to a great kid! How lucky...

Brian Miller said...

haha. he is well on his way...

One Photo said...

Oh just lovely - and where oh where did he learn such charming manners?!? Sounds like he will be a real catch some day, provided his wife doesn't mind talking to the back of his newspaper :-)

Jaime @ laviejaime said...

haha how cute! sounds like he has been taught well :)

Ali said...

Ha! Mini Mac is well on his way.

Jen said...

Aw, that is so sweet! I hope he keeps those charming manners as he gets older. What a ladies' man he'll be. :-)

Myya said...

Ha ha ha, what a cute little guy you've got. Guess Mr. Mac is teaching him well :)

Carma Sez said...

This seriously made me smile. My son often tires of my endless droning and questioning. In his defense, he is a teenager :D

Gigi said...

My Boy Wonder is a lot like your little guy. he always knows the right things to say. If I hadn't been nearly ripped in two bringing him into this world, I'd wonder if he was really mine, he's so nice!

If you're like me, you look at him and say, "don't ever change...you'll make a great husband someday."

sandandstarfish said...

how awesome is he!!

McVal said...

Just wait until he's 18! Man oh man - I can't wait to boot mine out the door!
But he's being so sweet for you 90% of the time right??

Babes Mami said...

Mini Mac is my second boy right now lol

Mine of course is the first!

sheila said...

Beautiful! My almost 16 year old son is the same way. A great young man. Thank GOD. lol.

leigh hewett said...

My son's future wife is going to be one lucky woman. The other day he crawled into bed with me and said in a whisper "turn to me mommy, I want to see your pretty face."

Some lady is going to eat that up one day.

Liz Mays said...

Well, no man is completely perfect.

Pseudo said...

I'm dealing with 17. All of yours sounds cute to me.

Joanna Jenkins said...

Three out of four isn't bad!
jj

Unknown said...

Oh, I love any posts about MiniMac, that special little man is really going to be something I tell you....I am waiting for that day, going to be his biggest British fan LOL!!

I love what he said to you....boys are just hilarious sometimes...actually, most of the time. As you know, I have a 4.5 yr old and he astounds me with his comments and observations...and his sense of humour, he definitely has my husband's "funny" gene :)

He has also started opening the door for me - not always but sometimes - and announcing "ladies first.....boys last"....where he got that from I have no idea but I love it!

He also - on the few and far between occasions that I am a little stressed or in a mad rush (surely not!) - has been known to come up to me, put his hands on my face and tell me how pretty I look or that he loves me. And I know he's not getting that from my husband since he never does that to me LOL!!

Little boys are so fabulous, mine has my heart so firmly in those grubby little hands of his :)

Glad you had a fabulous week-end break :) xo

Busy Bee Suz said...

Awwww. He will be a perfect man one day.
I heart your MiniMac!

MommaKiss said...

oh my aching heart. my lil one who just turned 5 (pain in my chest) is such a lil man. I'm not kidding, I plan to take him on "dates" so he knows how to treat a lady. Like i'll have him dress up and open doors and stuff and we'll go get a happy meal ;) But I'll tell him he needs to take his date to a fancy restaurant.

mCat said...

So so cute!

My youngest was bout 4 when I lopped my 80's long locks. SHORT! Like the 90's mushroom cut? remember that? ick.

I walked in the house, and Tuffy looked at me gasped and said, "Oh mommy! You're so handsome! You look just like a Dad"

My husband nodded. and no more words were ever spoken of the haircut again

secret agent woman said...

Just wait until he's taller than you and pats you on the head when he walks by.

K A B L O O E Y said...

Hey, that's a pretty good ratio. And I often get the brush off after school. I chalk it up to battle fatigue. Sounds like your little guy is shaping up to be quite a gent.

Brittany said...

How sweet is he?! The door thing made me smile :-) Go you for raising a great boy!

Badass Geek said...

All men, no matter how young, have their limits.

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

Priceless!

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Anonymous said...

Just found your blog today, it's really cute! This post is great, I'm sure your son will definitely turn out to be a perfect man. And he will make some girl happy one day :) Glad to see you're raising him as a gentleman. That last one is too funny though!