When you find out that you’re having a bouncing baby boy, people like to say, “Oh boys are so easy,” and “They’ll love their mother forever.” But then they become 14-year-old young men in high school with emotions that are always up and down, a stomach that is forever empty, and hormones that make it so difficult to stay focused on the books and not the cutie sitting next to them.

Nobody prepares you for the love interest that will soon consume your once sweet, cuddly baby boy. That’s what’s keeping me up at night. The day will come when they really feel they’ve found their soul mate or more likely, their love of the week. Either way, you have to prepare for mending a broken heart or teaching them how not to break someone’s heart. But, let’s be honest. We never really want either to happen, right?

We want them to grow up to be loving, caring, fair and romantic men. But how do you do that? More importantly how do you prepare yourself for letting them go? Of course, you can be of good example with the love of your life and show him what love and good communication looks like. But, what about your broken heart?

What happens to the mother that watches her once chubby-faced son prepare to go to a dance with the new apple of his eye? Well, that mother does her best not to snoop on a 14 year old’s Instagram account, works really hard not to find them on snapchat, and holds herself back from trying to do a background check. That mother looks at her now hairy-faced, squealing-voiced, handsome son and says, “Be sweet, be kind, listen and follow your heart.” That mom is scared that she hasn’t given him enough guidance, she’s worried that he may get hurt, concerned that he doesn’t know how to be in a relationship.

That mother isn’t me.

I’m a snoop, I’m heartbroken, and I want to know everything! But, I’m working on this. My husband is guiding me and telling me when I’m doing too much (insert rolling eye emoji). I just want my boy to be happy and to be a good person. So, I’m trying to trust that we’ve made the best decisions while raising him, making sure we’ve given him all the tools, and holding on to hope that this new boo won’t break his heart while also praying he won’t do the same. I’m happy that he comes to me with most of his business, and I hope he doesn’t stop. I NEED to know it all! This is so hard!

This snooping momma also wants her son to leave the nest and live a full life, and that life will include dating whether I like it or not. He has to grow up. He can’t live with us forever, so I must let him go and grow. I must let him move from boyhood to young manhood.