A 3-year-old Harasser

Today when I picked my son up from preschool, the teacher asked me to talk to him about keeping his hands to himself because some of the girls are getting upset. Okay, don't get me started on my gender. All I can say is: We start young.

Anyway, this has been an ongoing issue with my son ever since he was big enough to give hugs. He is an incredibly affectionate little boy. Most parents "ahhhh" about it and think it's cute. However, in our overly politically correct society, it seems that we are concerned about sexual harassment in preschool. Now, if my son were displaying the stereotypical male behavior of smacking other kids around, then he'd get a time-out and somehow other people seem to be more tolerant of this than of a child that gives unwanted kisses and pats. I've gone over and over this with him, but honestly, how do you explain to a 3-year-old the sophisticated intricacies of appropriate affection and inappropriate affection? I do not want to squelch this part of my child's temperament just because other people's kids have a stick up their butt. I mean I really don't even know how to approach this beyond talking to him, which obviously does very little good. As a matter of fact, this morning before I took him to go to preschool we went over "The Rules": No running (this is something they also asked me to talk to him about). Listen and obey the teacher. Hands to self.

I don't want to punish him for behavior that most people deem admirable in a child. I remember when he was 2 years old and he was in a toddler gym class giving out hugs. I groaned and said something, and one of the mothers said,"To have such a problem." Exactly.

Obviously, I'm just a wee bit annoyed by this and feel my "Mother Bear" emerging. Deep breath. Suck it up. Exhale. Peeeaaaacccceee. (If only it were that easy.)

By the way, I just read on another blog that "you cannot hug in preschool, by the way." Say what?! Yeah, take out a gun and blow your chums away, but God forbid you hug them. Okay. I'm done. *deep breath, suck it up, exhale* I think I'm hyperventilating.