To not want 3 year olds encouraged to have 'girlfriends' etc.

[theresmoretolife]

My DS is at preschool, and one mum is particular keeps saying my DS is her daughters boyfriend. She's always asking her daughter who her boyfriend is, and who she's going to marry. They're 3! AIBU to find this immensely irritating or should I just accept that she means no harm by it and relax a bit!

[theresmoretolife]

I hadn't thought of saying my son might turn out to be gay- that's brilliant. As indeed her dd might as you so rightly point out.
I don't think it would bother me so much if it hadn't been mentioned every time I see this woman- across the checkout tills, car park etc 'ooh your DS has got himself a girlfriend' etc. I have a dd too and I cannot imagine being in a rush to make her grow up. I believe this mum actually is a teacher, which makes me wonder if she would say things like that to children in her class.

[geekgal]

Exactly - the sort of parent who would start in about boyfriends and girlfriends would be exactly the sort to get offended if you point that out. I'm bi, so if someone wanted to point it out to me then that would be fine, but I wouldn't be trying to marry my girl off before she's old enough to say her name anyway! Genuinely, she's only three months old and it's already come up, she only just found out she had feet last week!

[Beastofburden]

lol at geekbabe discovering her feet!

[WilsonFrickett]

Hate it. Although DS8 said he hated people in his class talking about 'falling in love' the other day because it made his tummy feel yucky. Vair proud.

[theresmoretolife]

I remember even aged 12 not understanding friends when they said they fancied people, I didn't feel it, I just said I fancied x too because they were saying it!

[geekgal]

She found one on one day, then noticed she had a second about a day and a half later, spent a good few minutes comparing them!

[Nancy66]

When Prince George was born one of my elderly aunties made some quip about how my daughter (3) might marry him when she grows up. She burst into tears and said 'I don't want to get married, I'm too young!"

She had a point.

[Viviennemary]

I think it is rather infantile. However, it wouldn't bother me that much.

[Thepowerof3]

My nephew was a pageboy at our wedding when he was 3 and got really upset as he was convinced that he would have to marry me, wouldn't put it past my giant arse of a BIL to have put that idea in his head

[Rockinhippy]

YADNBU it's gets right up my nose too & never failed to amaze me how many people thought it was okay to say that to such small DCs - DD was always on it herself though - one of my favourites was the time she piped up with a big sigh to a lady in a local post office

"you need to read Princess Smarty Pants, all that sort of talk went it with the ark, what do I need to get married to some silly boy for, I can be what ever I want to be without some silly husband you know"

she may have picked up a phrase or 2 from me, but the look on the woman's face was priceless

[TooMuchRain]

Just inappropriate and weird, what on earth is wrong with them just having friends?

[geekgal]

Rockinhippy that's awesome! I've got the Practical Princess to read to mine when she's old enough, I shall have to look out for Princess Smartypants!

[themaltesefalcon]

I've always found that odd, OP.

[ButteryJam]

It is annoying - for goodness sake let children be children!

[EmeraldJeanie]

It does bother me but I don't say anything to a friend who does it with her 4 year old and mine. I don't encourage it or join in either and tend to change the subject. Will say something if my ds seems to start taking notice of it.
May not be aim but makes me very uncomfortable as sexualising children.

[Samnella]

YANBU. I don't like it but would think someone meant no harm so wouldn't say anything. My friend is always commenting on how "into boys" her 6 year old daughter is. I just don't comment as I find it odd but I also think it's a reflection of my own friend's insecurity as she has to be centre of attention when it comes to men. It's just the way she is.

[mrspremise]

I had a 'boyfriend' when I was 6. I stopped talking to him when he broke my favourite glittery pencil.

[SPBisResisting]

Cant stand this, and its very different when the chikdren themselves instigate it. Trouble is what do you say without sounding like a killjoy?

[WinningBread]

This really bugs me.
It started with my daughter when she was just a baby. Someone had already earmarked a boyfriend for her.

I'm a lesbian and I always had this growing up, whicj pushed me to feel like I had a dirty secret, tbh.

I suggested that my Dds 'boyfriend' might be interested in boys instead and I got a total cat's bum mouth from my friend. I don't see her anymore.

[plentyofsoap]

My ds has a list. He is 5 and this has not been encouraged at all. He has one girl he has declared to make his wife. He also wants to be superman and move to New York.

[makemineamalibuandpineapple]

My son is 10 and has rarely been single since nursery school. Apart from one girl when he was eight though, I'm not sure whether most of them knew they were his girlfriend

[makemineamalibuandpineapple]

My son is 10 and has rarely been single since nursery school. Apart from one girl when he was eight though, I'm not sure whether most of them knew they were his girlfriend

[ToysRLuv]

My DS is very nearly 4 and still can't tell the sexes apart. Calls most children "boys" if not corrected. He was surprised two months ago when I pointed out that I didn't have a willy, because I'm a woman. He wanted to see to make sure. He then put a concerned face on, telling me that I need to find myself a willy since I've lost it.. The funny thing is we have bathed and showered together most weeks, so it's like he just doesn't pay any attention to such things.

DS is having a birthday party in two weeks, and I've asked 2 girls and 6 boys to come. One of the girls he plays with a lot at nursery.

DS wouldn't know what a girlfriend or a boyfriend was. He has never heard such language, since he is an only child with cousins and friends roughly his own age (i.e. not a lot older). To him a friend is a friend.

The kind of thing the OP is referring to would really annoy me. Plenty of time for that rubbish later on.