My Body Guard

Somewhere along the way my three-year-old son has learned to scare off men.

By Alaina Sheer

This weekend Benjamin and I took a trip downtown. Along the sidewalk, I made Benjamin tilt his head back and look up. I watched his face as he lost his balance and stared in awe at the massive building above him. A few minutes later we were walking across the lawn of the State House building.

"You like to take pictures, don't you?" a man on the park bench asked.



"Yes, I love it."

I held onto my camera and reached for Benjamin's hand, "C'mon honey."

The man was nice but not my type and I was in a hurry to get back to the car. He kept talking to me but his words stopped short when Benjamin suddenly barked, "Stop! Stop flirting with my mommy!"

The man's face looked confused. He hadn't completely understood but my son's fierce face and body language were a dead giveaway.

"I have no idea what he said," I laughed as Benjamin tugged at my hands and pulled me away.

When I tucked him in his car seat I caught his eyes in mine and he stared right back - and in that stare I could see my little boy, not my little baby. And apparently he's a bit protective of his mama.

Now, how adorable is that? I love it. But I really, really want to know who taught him what flirting meant. Has he heard me use the word? This three-year-old business is crazy stuff. Just wondering what he'll say or do next and also wondering if scaring off men will become a regular habit.