By Renee Martinez
With Valentine’s Day just passed, and all the long weekend excitement starting to settle down…Moms, why not go on a date with your special little guy? Plan something special for him: lunch and movie, an afternoon in the arcade, a picnic in the park, or even just a short visit to a coffee shop for hot chocolate and donuts, to let him know that he’s your little Valentine. Please, don’t be put off by the eye-rolling or bashful “nooOOOooo”s , you will both have oodles of fun and it’s such a great way for the both of you to just enjoy each others company.
Other than being a great way to bond and spend time together, mom-son dates can do a lot for your son’s development emotionally and socially. Children who are quiet, especially those with older, chatty siblings, will have the chance to try out their own words and expressing themselves (without the eager help of their big sis or bro to finish their sentences). Talking becomes much less intimidating when you’re one-on-one with mom, making it much easier to come out of a shell. And if you have more than one kiddo, it’s also a rare opportunity for you to have this one-on-one time. Mothers with more than one children can at times feel guilty about not having enough time or attention to go around all the time, and setting aside the time and getting out of the house for this date is a nice way to get back in touch with your kids. Plan a date with each kid, and include him in the planning to get him excited!
If you find the stress and frustration level rising at home, with your son being crabbier than usual, take him out on a date. Mom-son dates are also a great stress and anxiety-reliever, for both you and your son. He gets an opportunity to express or explore what is troubling him with you outside of the usual environment and you get to re-assure him it’s not the end of the world and shower him with your affections. You will both come home more relaxed and happy. These dates are a great habit to develop because it reminds you to take time out for your loved ones in your busy life. I know grown men who still go on these mom-son dates (my boyfriend is one and he goes out for coffee or lunch with his mom at least once a month) and I think it’s wonderful. Call me crazy, but I find these men to be more communicative with, and less intimidated by, women, and they will absolutely hold the door and pull out chairs.
With boys that are a little older and are surrounded and pummeled with the “boy culture” at school and with friends, mom-son dates can help him balance that out. Taking time with him, talking and listening, on these outings will allow him a space to express his feelings and sensitive side. Who knows – maybe your tween guy will remember how to use words again and venture beyond the usual monosyllable grunts. Little humans always grow up too fast, and you might learn something new about each other every time you go on a mom-son date.
About the Author: Renee Martinez consults and speaks professionally on social media marketing, integrated marketing communications, public relations and branding. She is the president of Ruby Marketing Communications (www.rubymarcom.com), a boutique marketing communications company that specializes in providing branding, social media strategy and integration, and creative services. Her blog (www.lisac95.sg-host.com), provides resources on everything marketing and social media for her active audience.
Renee has contributed as a featured monthly columnist in the monthly jewelry industry publication, JCK on matters related to internet marketing as well as in InStore Magazine as a featured blogger where she writes about developing effective marketing strategies for the jewelry industry using social media. She is the founder of: Social Media Biz Summit (www.socialmediabizsummit.com), the first large-scale SM conference to come to Buffalo, NY; #jewelrychat, a weekly twitter chat for the jewelry industry and www.RaisingBoysWorld.com. Renee teaches social marketing courses at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY for the business school as well as offers small group social media marketing training and educational seminars for businesses in Western New York and beyond.
Renee has dabbled in internet marketing arena since the early 90′s and is not ashamed to call herself a “marketing geek”. From chatting in AOL, “sharing” music on Napster, and teaching HTML classes before it was considered “cool” to developing comprehensive social media strategies, effective public relations campaigns and managing online communities (most recently Chevy Girls Buffalo).
She enjoys being able to help people find their voice online and to create buzz about their product or service that will give them the results they desire. Renee can be found on Twitter (@reneemmartinez) and Facebook (http:/www.facebook.com/RubyMarCom).
