A few weeks ago Little Man came home from daycare and he was super excited. The source? He had a girlfriend.
Me: How do you know she is your girlfriend?
LM: Because we played Mummy and Daddy together.
Me: Who was the Mummy?
LM: Poppy was.
Me: Were you the Daddy then?
LM: No, Charlie was.
Me: So who were you?
LM: THE DOG!
I have to add that his face was beaming so hard and his chest was puffed up with pride! Oh how joyful and innocent the conversation was. Over the subsequent days, it made the people I told laugh out loud and tilt their head that way where the eyes say “ahhhh.”
Earlier this week, Little Man once again came home and declared he had a girlfriend. Hubby asked his son a question.
Holly’s son Billy got an achievement award for having the right school shoes. Is this getting out of control?
How do you know she is your girlfriend?”
His reply was quick and blunt.
“You just tell her.”
Top Comments
How can we balance this kind of conversation with common sense? It’s surely permissible to be attracted to someone who doesn’t feel the same way about you. Usually when small children say they have a boy or girlfriend they mean they like that person. In fact they may say they are friends with people who don’t like them too - how do we walk that line without adding to the many anxieties our kids will face?
Good job Mum. Keep it simple and real and consistent and you’ve done well here! You’re not telling him off or lecturing him, just guiding his thinking like a good parent!