One of my favorite things about the Boy is that he’s super friendly. Always has been. He waves and smiles to strangers and makes friends quickly. I’m friendly, but definitely not as comfortable with new people as immediately as he is.
And I love watching and listening to his interactions. It’s also why its nice to be in a neighborhood where others also wave, smile and talk to strangers. His friendliness is welcome and people talk to him.
The other day we went to our favorite local indie cafe, Sweet Elle, and there was a younger kid there. As is his style the Boy just walked over and started treating the other kid like they were old friends. A few minutes later I saw him ruffle the kid’s hair. I cringed, concerned he had perhaps crossed the personal space boundary, but the kid just smiled and skipped off.
There’s another kid…a teenager really. I had seen him on the bus several times on his way to school. Sometimes he catches the same bus we do on our way home, and the Boy immediately took a liking to him. And the older boy is friendly, answers all the Boy’s questions with a smile and seems to genuinely enjoy the Boy’s temporary company.
Everywhere we go, the Boy is a social butterfly. I think he has his dad to thank for that, because he definitely didn’t get it from me.
Not that it matters though. It’s wonderful to see the excitement the Boy gets from meeting a new person. And he’s always been partial to chopping it up with dudes. Funny how at the age of two, I knew, the Boy was a man’s man. He’s a social butterfly and makes a habit of talking to strangers. You know what? It’s good for him.
He’s confident and resilient. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bother anyone who didn’t seem open to being bothered and most of the time people are downright delighted by his inquisitive conversation. While I’m sometimes uncomfortable with his comfort with strangers, I usually resist the urge to interfere. Instead I watch and listen carefully while he learns a skill that will make him a success later in life.
And that, is definitely a good thing.