Boys Will Be Boys

I really know very little about raising boys.  I grew up in a family of all girls and although my Dad tried very hard to expand our insights and introduce us to a more masculine world, how boys think and act is still a mystery to me.  Which is why I have no idea how to handle the situation that fell into my lap this afternoon.

My children had the day off from school (yes, a very cruel joke considering we just finished Spring Break last week) and my two boys walked to the school playground to play with some friends. As they were getting ready to leave, an older boy from the neighborhood told my littlest one to "shut up." As all big brothers do, the oldest stopped in his tracks and said, "Who told my little brother to 'shut up'?" When the boy admitted he was the one, my son clocked him.  Which of course resulted in the much older, bigger boy to jump on top of him and hit him back.   Although his pride was a little injured, physically he was fine.  

I stopped myself from blurting out, "Did you not see how big he was before you threw the first punch?" realizing this phrase alone not only appears to condone fighting but suggests that my son should always backdown from situations where he isn't quite sure he will succeed (I know, I really read way too much into things). Obviously, my son was in the wrong for throwing the first punch, but there is something admirable about his attempt to stick up for his younger brother.  I'm really not sure how to reprimand one action while applauding the other--a familiar situation for me as I try and deal with all the boys in my household (husband included).  

Here's the real kicker:  While I sit in my home office stewing over the details of this afternoon's event, my son is outside playing football with the boys--including the boy he just had a fight with on the playground.  He's over it, the boy is over it and it appears I am the only one still trying to reconcile the behavior with the motivation behind it.  I'm such a girl.