No 1 Son is getting the stage where I'm no longer allowed to hug and kiss him at will. 'Gerroff,' he says if I try to peck him on the cheek before he goes to school. 'Mu-uum,' he wails if I try to put my arms around him when he arrives home. 'I've missed you,' I say and he rolls his eyes.
I understand it's part of the growing up process, to start to emotionally detach and pretend you don't want your mum to kiss and hug you so much any more. Ditto no using family nicknames in public (and especially not in front of his friends.) I get it - I was the same with my parents. But it's hard when you ARE the parent. To me he is and will always be my baby, even though it's been a long time since I could even pick him up.
Yesterday I was sitting at the laptop when he suddenly came into the room, put his arms round me and hugged me for at least a minute. I could have cried, it was so lovely to be that close to him again. It's not an over exaggeration to say it made my heart sing.
Later that evening though when he announced he was going to bed I tried to give him a hug. 'Gerroff,' he said.