Have you ever considered the fact that you need to be preparing your son for his future wife? Well, firstly, brain explosion: I’m going to be someone’s mom-in-law one day! Shame Hahaha. But no really, I think I’d be a sterling MIL. Let’s be positive about this thing. Give love a chance! Make the world a better place! Anyways, last week I was chatting about how grown my kid is and the fact that he wants to get married at a young age. I mean, this could still change, but for now he is planning to be a chef, build an empire and find a wife, all while in his early twenties. Oh and they will live in France. So this got me thinking that hey, I need to learn some french! And, more importantly, I need to start preparing myself for a future wedding!

I’ve been told that, as a mom of a boy, it’s your duty to keep your future DIL in mind, while raising your son. There are basic principles that you should be instilling in them to prep them for life as a dad and husband… and just a decent human being, over all, I’d think. Some of it are no brainers… well, all of them are no brainers, in my opinion… but sometimes these “no brain needed” principles still require intentional demonstration from us, as parents, in order for our kids to catch it. Stuff like:

Teaching him to clean up after himself
Yes, ladies, mold them while they’re still young and unmarried. Do you give your sons chores to do, around your home? I guess guys become expert “taking out the trash” people, but I’m talking hardcore house work. Things like sweeping and mopping floors, hanging up the washing and making beds.

Make sure he doesn’t expect to be served on, like a king
Let’s keep it real moms-of-boys, we sometimes tend to spoil our little princes. I try to make the boys aware that they have just as much responsibility as my daughter will have, one day. Want some tea? You’re welcome to make it yourself, oh and while you’re at it, find out if anyone else would like some too. When I do serve on them, I make sure that they show gratitude. ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ goes a long way!

Showing him how to be considerate towards others
Teaching your son how to be considerate and emotionally aware at a young age will not only help him to not be a stinky person, but I’m sure the women that he comes in contact with will appreciate it too. My prayer is that our boys will treat women with respect and consideration. I do not encourage the bullying or teasing of others. It’s not okay to make someone else feel bad about themselves! Train him up to be a gentleman by teaching him how to show consideration and care towards anyone that crosses his path.

Teaching him how to be dedicated to the relationships in his life
I’ve said this before: I will NOT encourage my son to be a “player” or to bring multiple girlfriends home. I WILL out you! We’ve had the ‘dating’ talk and I explained that being in a relationship is a serious business and if he wants to have a girlfriend, he must be doubley sure about it. No, they aren’t getting married. He’s a teenager for crying outloud. But I will not have him prancing around, breaking the hearts of other peoples daughters, simply because he wants to feel like “the man”.

Show him what a happy marriage looks like
This is one of the no brainers that we were talking about. Your marriage is a blueprint – an example – to your children. And yes, some of us are single or divorced moms. That’s okay. But you still have the responsibility of watching what you say around your children. If you are breaking down the covenant of marriage or disrespecting the marriages of others, your children will pick it up. Worse still: they will consider it NORMAL to not view marriage in a serious light.

Make sure he knows the principles of working hard for what you want
Be honest, ladies, a passionate, ambitious man, who honors his agreements and has integrity, is so attractive! Where does it all begin? Well, at home, of course! I’ve considered having my boy take on a part time job, during the school holidays, because I want him to learn the principles of working for what you want and being dedicated to a commitment.

Then there’s the thought: What type of MIL will I be? Have you ever thought about the fact that your future involves you being someone else’s MIL? Are there ways to prepare yourself for it? I guess your preparation for it occurs throughout your child’s dating season. Just like how it prepares them for marriage, it will probably prepare you for the change too. So I guess that’s all the prep we get, moms!

Here’s another shocking revelation: Since our boys each have a mom AND a step mom, this means that their wives will have to deal with TWO MIL’s! Hahahah bless their hearts!

But on the real: Isn’t it amazing how our lives are always changing, causing us to permanently be on that growth trip? Just when you think that you’ve done it all, something new pops up and you find yourself a scholar of life, once again.

As I’ve shared before, I’m a teen pregnancy statistic. I gave birth to my boy when I was 19 years old and with it came the sudden progression from young girl to young mother. In fact, I still consider myself a “young mother” even though I’ve been at it for almost 15 years. While being a teen mom is not an ideal situation to be in, I can honestly say that I am now reaping the benefits of having kids early! (Disclaimer: Don’t try this at home! Or, at least, don’t try this without a spouse and financial and mental stability. At least.)