Question
My 11-year old son continues to ask me to "snuggle" with him and scratch his back at bed time. Often, this includes some reading aloud and is a time for us to chat about concerns or questions. Other times, this will include night time prayers together. Sometimes, I have other tasks to attend to and let him know that I love him but he should go to bed and not wait for me. An older friend I respect, said he is too old for this kind of cuddle routine as he is showing signs of puberty and it sends the wrong message for a mother/son relationship. His father will sometimes spend some similar time with him. We feel we have good parent/child boundaries. He is an only child and we are all appropriately affectionate at other times of the day at home. I always assumed that the day would come when he would not want me to step foot in his room and decided to enjoy it for as long as it lasted, but am I continuing a routine that should come to an end? Is this a boundary I have missed?
