Mama's boy? Thankfully so.

My little boy is growing up and getting extra clingy to me.

And I am loving it.  I know the opinions of the pediatrics societies, yes.  And I don't care one bit.

One of my worst fears as a full-time working mom is that my son would grow up preferring his yaya over me.  Of course I do want them to have a close bond, because I want Mito to not feel a lack of love despite his parents leaving him every workday.  Still, I dread the day when we'll be in a playground, and Mito will get hurt, and he'll run to his yaya instead of to me. 

So it's such a relief that despite my being away from him for at least 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, for him I am still the primary caregiver.  When I'm in the house, he wants me to be in charge.  Bathtimes, mealtimes, playtimes should all be with Mommy.  I want to believe it means I'm able to make the most of the limited waking time we spend together.


Just yesterday morning, Mito woke up and got down from the bed while I was fixing some stuff in the bedroom.  He must have stepped on something that hurt his foot a little, because he suddenly came to me complaining and pointing to his foot.  I sat down on the bed, asked him what was wrong, and gently rubbed his sole.  After that, he gave me a really really sweet smile, then kissed my hand, unprompted. 

Whenever something hurts him now, he comes to me and cuddles real close.  And I joyfully oblige him by squeezing him in a tight hug and peppering him with kisses. 

At bedtime, he rolls around the bed so much, struggling to stay awake.  When he has nearly exhausted himself, he snuggles up to me and squeezes and squirms as though we are two pieces of a puzzle that he's trying to put together, and finally settles in a position that affords us the most body contact - sometimes he sleeps in the crook of my arms, sometimes on my neck, sometimes on my legs.  I admit there are some nights when I am tired and I hurt from all the wrestling we do, and I try and sneak down from the bed and I ask his Dad to substitute.  But I only need a few minutes of respite, and I sneak back and reclaim my role as his nighttime nest.

I refuse to believe that all this closeness and sweetness is either: (a) making my son such a weakling that he won't be able to soothe himself when he grows up, or (b) a spoiled little monster who will be demanding and clingy all the way to adulthood. 

I only have a few years of this - of him wanting to be with me all the time.  I have a 5-year old nephew who already refuses to be referred to as our "baby", and whose constant response is "I can do it myself."  Just a few years ago he was slinking and clinging on to our legs and exclaiming, "I'm a baby whale", and now all he wants is to show us that he's a big boy now. 

I see my son learning so many new things, getting more and more ready to be independent, and I am proud and panicky at the same time.  He is getting better at eating on his own, he is learning how to undress himself, he runs off whenever we are out and he's walking.  I think, good job, Mito, but not so fast please.

So during these times when it feels like I'm his primary need, I will not balk at the opportunity to pamper him.  When he's still like this when he's 13, I will consider myself lucky.