Mama's Boys?

Is it a truth universally acknowledged that all guys are mama's boys? Or at the least most of them are?

What is it about these male creatures that makes them the center of their mother's world?

In the dating world I met many men whose complete ineptness endeared them to me. It wasn't nearly as cute when I realized they weren't just acting helpless. They really were helpless. If you are over 21 and your mom is still making your bed as well as doing your laundry and ironing it is time for a reality check.

Yet even after those experiences I find that my son is frequently coddled and waited on, not only by me, but by his big sister as well. I certainly want him to grow up to be an independent man who is able to take care of himself, but I seem to fall into his trap regularly. His sister isn't immune to his charms either. She can often be found making him a drink or a sandwich or something else that he has conned her into.

Are females just hardwired to fall victim to the innocent looks and pleading puppy dog eyes? I know for certain that my son is able to make himself a bowl of cereal. He has no broken limbs and he's a perfectly competent 7 year old. Is gender at play here when he pleads for someone to "serve" him?

I suppose some would say he is spoiled, but I do not think that is the case. He is willing to go get his own drink or snack when I'm not close at hand. However, just let his sister or I get in the vicinity and suddenly he's helpless. He hasn't seen this example set by his daddy either. More often than not daddy is doing something for someone else.

I encourage my son to express his individuality and he will come into the kitchen to help me stir something or help unload the dishwasher. He labors in the yard with his grandpa on weekends, so I don't think that laziness is really an issue either.

I'm not sure I will ever have the answer to this problem. I make an effort daily to have him do things on his own and not to cater to him. He still loves to snuggle and since I know that within a year he will be too cool to come anywhere near me I refuse to give up that little bit of bonding time that we have. In the meantime I make it a point not to look into those brilliant blue eyes or at the grin with the missing tooth too often because I know he will have me wrapped around his pinky.