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DEL.ICIO.USConfident 5-year-old flirting with his babysitters
He actually thinks at 5 he’s got a chance with a 10th grader. He doesn’t lack confidence, but I think it all adds us to trouble later. How do you raise a nice boy and not a heartbreaker?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve always known our little guy was a ladies’ man. He spent half of his Christmas pageant last year trying to scoot next to the woman that he loved — a 4-year-old named Gracie. About a month later, he declared that Natalie had captured his heart. He loves to be surrounded by girls at school and will chat up any young thing on the playground or school bus.
But now my little 5-year-old Casanova is learning some new tricks and turning his attention away from girls his own age and onto our teenage babysitters.
For the last two months, Walsh has been asking to walk down the street to visit a babysitter of ours named Tiffany.
For several weeks he would get off the school bus and just start walking toward her house, which is pretty far from us. I would chase after him saying, “Buddy, I don’t think she’s home from school yet. She usually has stuff to do in the afternoon. Plus, I don’t even have my shoes on.” What I was trying to say was, “Buddy as cute as you are, I don’t think a 10th grader wants to chat up a 5-year-old.”
I would finally convince him to turn around, and he would sadly slump back toward our house biding his time before he could try again to talk to Tiffany.
I had put him off for several weeks until finally one night I agreed to take a walk after dinner. I knew exactly where he was heading as soon as we left the house. He marched right up her front steps and started ringing her doorbell.
Tiffany came out on her front porch. I said, “Walsh has wanted to visit you. He’s been asking me to have you baby sit soon.”
Walsh looks up at her, smiles and says, “So Tiffany, how’s school going. What ya been up to?” He made small talk with her for a while and then he got down to business. “So you want to join us for a walk? We’re walking around the neighborhood.”
She let him down easy. She told him she couldn’t right then because she was making dinner for her family.
I thought that would satisfy him for a while, but a few nights later as I was trying to put him to bed he told me he wanted to write Tiffany a letter. So he padded downstairs in his little pajamas and started writing her a card. Most of it was scribble but he did sign his name. Then he told me to translate what it meant for her. Here’s what he dictated: “I really love you so much Tiffany. I want you to baby sit in a few days. Love, Walsh.”
And then he wrote on the outside of the envelope: To: Tiffany. From: Walsh. I have now been charged with delivering his letter.
Not to burst Tiffany’s bubble but later that night while he was supposed to be sleeping, he wrote two more love letters to our other babysitters.
I’m not sure what to make of my 5-year-old declaring his love for high school girls. What happens when he’s 15? Will he be hitting on 25-year-olds? Will he be a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy or is he just demonstrative with his emotions because that’s how we are with him?
A guess we’ll have to wait and see, but at least we know he’ll have good penmanship from all these love letters!
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: Family Life
Comments
By My3Kids
September 29, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
LOL! You have to love kids. I have no idea how to handle this one, but I can only imagine how his teen years will be. And I have to wish you Good Luck!
By Daytunaguy
September 29, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
Cute & humorous. But,if this were a 5 year old girl and she was fixated on high school boys, it would be viewed very differently. The double standard starts early.
By Carol
September 29, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
….besides I don’t really believe this story!
By Numbers Guy
September 29, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
Ours used to do this, and still does to a degree (at 7). As long as it remains respectful, I don’t sweat it, and he has a pretty good understanding of what’s acceptable.
By Theresa
September 29, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this
Carol — the note to Tiffany is still riding around in my car because I’m not sure what to do wiht it. My dad and Tiffany’s mom witnessed the conversation on the door step. All true.
By pemixlos
September 29, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
what an outrageous story!!!!!!!!!
By nypeach
September 29, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
My 13-year-old daughter loved, loved, loved boys from the time she was about 3. She has always been boy crazy…she walked up to a boy in her nursery school when she was 3 and planted a kiss on his cheek. He burst into tears and then she joined in (I think more out of confusion). Now she’s an 8th grader and while she has calmed down a bit, she still just loves boys. She never had a crush on a boy who is more than a year older, so I can’t speak on the age difference. But I do remember being the object of a 5-year-old’s affection in church. He always found a way to sit next to me and would just smile and flirt away. I think some kids are just very open with their affections.
By the real lakerat
September 29, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
A little boy fell in love with me once and his medling sister followed him to my house one day dropping bread crumbs and ruined my dinner plans…..Curses!!!
By Becky
September 29, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
Love this story..My 6 year old grandson is a lover also..He’s in love now with his 17 year old cousin(2nd). Then of course, he wants to marry his nanny when he grows up..So yeah, as numbers guy said, enjoy it while they are young..Then of course, his twin sister wants to go on a romantic date to Hawaii with a step cousin..So the boy tells her that it’s a law that 6 year olds can’t date..Notice that this rule doesn’t apply to him..
By kp
September 29, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this
I don’t think it’s cute at all. sounds like a potential abuser, rapist, etc. Get this child some counseling now before he grows up and continues in the same manner. You won’t think it’s cute later.
By JATL
September 29, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
First off KP I sincerely hope you’re joking! Get a grip and lighten up! You sound like king or queen of the killjoys!
I have a 2.5 year old who LOVES to flirt and LOVES “older” women -that is 4 and 5 year olds and the occasional 7 or 8 year old. He just lights up around them and literally ogles them. I fully expect him to want to chase girls -and if I had a girl for her to want to chase boys -unless they’re gay and then you can fill in the appropriate genders. Who cares? Why don’t you ask your son if he just wants Tiffany or whoever to come babysit because they’re so much fun or is it something else. At his age I doubt he’ll censor very much. You can explain to him that he’s a little young to start “putting the moves on” a girl -especially a teenager, but I would take all of this with a grain of salt!
By MomsRule
September 29, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
KP, Reality Check, you are in serious need.
Theresa, cute story.
I would deliver the letter (and have a brief talk with sitter). He is 5. Children cannot decipher each and every one of their feelings. He probably loves everyone that is nice and plays with him. And he should! Ahh, to be young, innocent and completely open. Enjoy it!
By fk
September 29, 2008 7:41 PM | Link to this
When my son was in kindergarten, he used to perform for his (young & pretty) teachers…a song and dance routine a la Backstreet Boys. Now, at 17, he’d die of embarrassment if we ever brought the subject up. He still likes to make the girls laugh, though. And, he’s still interested in those a couple of years his senior. My younger brother used to wear cologne to school to impress his 2nd grade teacher. We could smell him coming a mile away!
By mslynn
September 30, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Both my boys had crushes on older women. One even said that his crush’s husband should go to jail for being with such a young girl. I had to imform him that the young girl who he was referring to was a 30 year old woman. My son was about 8-9 at the time.
By J.Doe
October 2, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
hahaha, that’s so funny
By J.Doe
October 2, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
…cute story
By nikki
October 6, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this
when i was a young child i had a nursery school pal who was my age but he was such a lover. He would hold the door for me and hold my coat for me. It was very sweet. He would kiss my cheeks and touch my hair. NEVER EVER have i had such a gentleman..Men today could learn something about manners from this 3 year old friend of mine.
By Ms gg
October 6, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this
For all of you who say this is cute. It is not cute! It’s time to have a good talk with your son about the realities of life. 1.little boys don’t mess with big women there is always folly later ask the old girls about the young men and v/v 2. he’s just too darn young to be having those kind of feelings ask an adult once an abused child if you dare 3. what are the influences around him and how is the encouraged 4. he should be doing the really sweet cute innocent things a boy of 5 does, anyone even know what they are????? Daydreamin about the boobs of a 17year old Not!!! Come on! raise men not little boys who play with grown women, how about a 5year old having a crush on a 5 year old huh? or a good role model like mom or grandma or teacher for the qualities they bear hmmmmm Reality!!! Yours Truly A Real Psychologist
By Ms gg
October 6, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this
For all of you who say this is cute. It is not cute! It’s time to have a good talk with your son about the realities of life. 1.little boys don’t mess with big women there is always folly later ask the old girls about the young men and v/v 2. he’s just too darn young to be having those kind of feelings ask an adult once an abused child if you dare 3. what are the influences around him and how is the encouraged 4. he should be doing the really sweet cute innocent things a boy of 5 does, anyone even know what they are????? Daydreamin about the boobs of a 17year old Not!!! Come on! raise men not little boys who play with grown women, how about a 5year old having a crush on a 5 year old huh? or a good role model like mom or grandma or teacher for the qualities they bear hmmmmm Reality!!! Yours Truly A Real Psychologist