If you had an adorable toddler boy

[BiscuitLover09876]

When did he change?

My 2 year old is so affectionate, still sleeps with us and breastfeeds, just wants his toy animals and dolls to kiss and cuddle and eat the 'food' he makes them. None of this "boys are more boisterous" crap.

If your son was like this, did he stay that way or did school/puberty ruin him? 🙈 starts nursery next week.

Lighthearted

Dh is pretty gentle soul himself but apparently he was a nightmare kid and had no interest in making toys cuddle

At about 2and a half 😂

He is still incredibly lovely and cuddly and cute but is also an absolute terror for jumping, running, throwing, his favourite is a rugby tackle hug where he comes flying at great speed from nowhere to hug you, taking you out in the process. Or jumping from a height onto you for a hug.

He's almost 3 and showing no signs of slowing down.... I hear 8 is a good age 😂

He's a surly, 6ft 2", 16 year old currently. And spends a lot of time eye rolling and saying "OMG!" at me and arguing back.

He does still loom over me and hug and kiss me awkwardly and say Love you, Mum quite a lot though.

School/puberty ruins all of us, not just boys.

My son is a mix. In some ways he was a nightmare until he was 5. Very stubborn and wilful, but he has always been a complete softy when it comes to his cuddly animals.

He is 8 soon and showing no signs of giving them up. He is still very cuddly and affectionate. But he also has a wild side, really likes rough and tumble and he and his friends are often in trouble at school for playing too roughly.

@NuffSaidSam

School/puberty ruins all of us, not just boys.

Very true!

DS is nine and still pretty adorable.
As he's a nine year old boy he talks too much and thinks fart jokes are funny, knows more about Mario than I ever thought possible BUT, he still loves a bedtime story, a good snuggle, his teddies and is gentle and kind.
I actually love this age, he's so much fun and I can see the adult he's going to become.

Mine were all lovely till about 13/14 and mostly lovely again by 17.

Stay that way?! You still want your son sleeping with you and breastfeeding until he's 18 🤯

Joke!

All children change at school.

As long as you coach him hard to counteract all the "boys will be boys" toxic crap, he'll be fine. My squidgy cuddler is still a cuddly, kind string bean at ten. Of course things will change around puberty, but they're still themselves - they won't be ruined 🙂 The thing we've found has had a really powerful effect for our kids is to talk about sexism, societal expectations etc from quite young.

Enjoy him - I miss that stage!

No, I wouldn't say DS1 has ever really been "ruined", he is 12 now. He's not really cute any more in a toddler sense (although is cute in a preteen sense) but I definitely found his behaviour harder from about age 4/5, and found the stereotypical "boy" interests (Minecraft, pokemon, superheroes, whatever was cool at school) kind of took over and I found it harder to relate to him from about that age until secondary school when he started to get a bit more diversified and have his own interests rather than just whatever seemed cool. But I have often found this with primary aged children, they are past the little child stage where they're curious about everything and not yet in the stage where you can have an adult conversation with them, it's just not my favourite bit. I know a lot of people like the in between bit but to be perfectly honest I found it a bit dull compared to toddlers and this teen stage which is just starting.

@CrouchEndTiger12

Stay that way?! You still want your son sleeping with you and breastfeeding until he's 18 🤯

Joke!

All children change at school.

🤣

My lovely sweet toddler boy is now 14, 6ft tall and seemingly finding his inner chav. However at home with me he is still a lovely cuddle bunny.

Dds stopped me letting me hold his hand at school around 5 and would run off with his friends instead of wait for me.

We have a lot if the same interests (gaming, superheroes etc) so never felt like I struggle to connect with him.

He is 10 and still super cuddly. He will come find me several times a day for a cuddle and sleeps with me whenever he gets the chance. We have a regular movie night, where we sit in bed with popcorn and watch a film.

I do have to fake interest, when his rambles about dinosaurs, fortnite, mine raft etc goes over 5 mons though.

My ds is 15, almost 16 and still lovely. Often out with mates but very happy to spend time with his mum & dad and wider family too. I get a hug and kiss at least once a day. Only difference was he was also a super active toddler and child. Still pretty active and joining the gym this week.

My adorable toddler son is 14 now and a know-all shower-dodger, but still fundamentally calm, affectionate, enthusiastic, hilarious and VERY kind.

My DS changed abruptly on starting school. I understood that it was something to do with testosterone levels, but it could just have been school.

My 17 year old was a happy, super chilled, softy who stuck close to me. He just passed through the kitchen and gave me an I love you Mummy shout, can’t say he’s changed. He is pretty immune to peer pressure, no interest in social media, hugs me and his Dad on school grounds, helpful around the house, lazy academically (downside to still being very chilled out) but funnily enough is a sprinter at county level . Can’t say he’s changed much.

My lovely 2 yo DD kept his sweet and fun sense of humour through to his 14yo self. When his voice broke I surprised myself at how emotional I was about him growing up. He's still very kind and sociable with our immediate and extended family.

My ds is 6 now and he's still a little sweetheart. He's not a boisterous child, never has been. He doesn't come to me for as many cuddles my more but still always wants me if he's sad or hurt and he still holds me hand! Since he's been at school he is more conscious of things and has started to say certain stuff is 'cool' lol! He also frequently tells me he's bored - which is a fairly new thing and drives me mad! He's definitely maturing but he's still my little poppet!

My 6' 2" adorable former toddler boy flung himself onto the sofa beside me earlier and put his head on my lap. Some of them don't change. His younger brother, on the other hand 😱

My two are still adorable (nearly 14 and 10) but so is my 16 year old girl. They were all very cute toddlers although in quite different ways (all 3, not a boy/ girl difference, just personality). My two boys get on really well and can be a bit roudy and loud in a good natured way when together, but not separately nor, oddly, with their friends.

I don't think any of my kids made toys cuddle that I remember, but they're all pretty cuddly themselves. DS1 is now much taller than me and definitely well into puberty, he still likes hugs but not in the puppy like way ds2 (10) still does.

DS1 and DD both prefer to socialise with friends rather than go on family outings now, but that's as it should be. They both like bigger daytrips and holidays (mainly because further afield there won't be the potential embarrassment of bumping into a group of their friends there without their families again, as it should be). DS2 is completely unselfconscious and happy to be out with either or both parents and rushes to give me a hug if I pick him up from school (he usually takes the bus) without the slightest bit of embarrassment in front of the other children and without me encouraging or expecting him to.

My gorgeous 10 year old hardly ever cuddles me. But think that's just him. he's still adorable in many ways.

Our 6'3" 16 Yr old DS still slings his legs onto my lap when we're on the sofa together. Also comes into our room sometimes on a weekend with a "budge up" and squeezes into our bed while on his phone. Always lots of "love you", and hugs. Teenagers can be challenging there's no doubt about that, but thankfully it's balanced with these gem moments.