Boys and girls

Holden will be 10 in December--
H: Mom, why do all of Camden's friends, who are girls, hate me? (Camden has three to five girls in the neighborhood who really like having him around.)
Me: I bet they think you are a cute boy and don't know what to say to you. Plus you are older than them.
H: Oh.
Me: You know how you may have a hard time talking to a girl you like who is pretty and cool? It's like that.
H: No, I don't know what you mean. I just talk to the girls I like.
Me: O.k. It is kinda like how you may have trouble talking to an older girl you like or think is cool.
H: No, I don't know what you mean. I just talk to them like people.
Me: Well, some girls don't know how to relate to boys and act like they hate them when they really like them.
H: O.k. I see.
Me: If you want to talk to so and so who says they hate you, try saying, I like your rope swing or your fish pond.
H: I tried that already.

I am loving this stage of parenthood. I'm loving having them come to me and talk about girls they have crushes on and the questions my boys have for me. Both of our boys can talk to their dad also. So far all the parents of the girls have had really good things to say about both of our boys and love having them around. Camden is a really cool friend to his girls and I love how caring and sweet he is to them. It makes me so happy we have parented the way we have. I love how Holden stands up for his little brother and younger kids also. He doesn't like a cute girl his age (who lives near us) because she is mean to a neighbor boy who is 5 years old.