Mother Tiger...

Something terrible has happened.

As I was tucking my eldest hobbit into bed this evening he uttered the immortal words, "Mummy, I love a girl at school."

He had this big smile on his face as he was clearly so pleased that he had finally come to this decision after much emotional angst, and of course I gave him a big hug and told him I was pleased for him.

It was the conversation afterwards that has left me in a tizz. He then told me that she smiled at him at a party, but there was another boy that was want of her affections. Mother tiger on alert. Poised to strike down any potential competition lying in wait.

Then he wasn't completely sure if she liked him more and perhaps she liked the other boy more, so what could he do?
Rats.
I am not ready for this. I am not prepared to have this conversation with my baby. What resulted was a conversation that suggested it is ok to like girls, it is ok to smile back at them, it is ok to be friends with them - but sometimes they like other boys too.

I wanted to protect him. I wanted to pre-empt any anguish he may uncover if he finds out that this girl is not making eyes at him only.

Then I had this vision of years to come and quite frankly I don't like it. I want to keep him at home, surrounded by only mother love and wrapped up in a cocktail of strawberry laces, duvets and Disney films...I don't want any of them to grow up and be hurt.

I know that isn't practical. I don't want my son turning into the next Norman Bates with only a love for his mother, but I suddenly had that dreaded feeling - the realisation that they will grow into young men who will get hurt; because quite frankly they are a soppy bunch of boys who will fall in love easily.

Therefore there is nothing else for it. I will home school them and keep them away from the community at large until they are 35. That should help a bit surely?