Mother's boy

Mother's boy
For other uses, see Mother's boy (disambiguation).

Mother's boy, also mummy's boy or mama's boy, is a term for a man who is excessively attached to his mother at an age[which?] when men are expected to be independent (e.g. live on their own, be economically independent). A mother's boy may be effete or effeminate, or might be perceived as being macho, or might have a personality disorder, such as avoidant personality disorder, or might be schizophrenic, so that the mother acts as a caretaker. In any case, a mother's boy cannot maintain a healthy partnership with a woman (Carruthers, 1998).

Being mother-bonded is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness, and has a social stigma attached to it in many places, although in other places it may be more acceptable or perceived as normal. A mother-bonded man is seen to give control of his own life to his mother, in exchange for a sense of security. If the mother has more than one son, then she will have, at the most, one mother's boy, usually the eldest or youngest son. The relationship between mother and mother's boy is thought to be "symbiotic": the mother enjoys controlling her mother's boy.

Alternatively, in recent years, some have begun using the term in a milder sense, merely meaning a man who is emotionally attached to his mother. Though this sense of the phrase is still uncommon compared to the original pejorative intent, mothers in particular may state their pride in their "mama's boy" sons. It is also occasionally used to describe an infant or toddler son who is unusually attached to his mother, even crying or resisting when the father attempts to care for him. In this sense, the 'mama's boy' designation carries little stigma, but is simply an observation of the young child's primary attachment.

See also

References



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  • Mother's Boy — Données clés Réalisation Henry Lehrman Acteurs principaux Roscoe Arbuckle Nick Cogley Sociétés de production The Keystone Film Company Pays d’origine …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mother's Boy — can refer to: Mother s Boy (1913 film), a 1913 film starring Fatty Arbuckle Mother s Boy (1929 film), a 1929 directed by Bradley Barker This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an …   Wikipedia

  • mother's boy — BrE a man or boy who allows his mother to protect him too much and is considered weak American Equivalent: mama s boy …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • mother's boy — mother s ,boy noun count a MAMA S BOY …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • mother's boy — noun a boy excessively attached to his mother; lacking normal masculine interests • Syn: ↑mamma s boy, ↑mama s boy • Hypernyms: ↑son, ↑boy * * * noun : a boy or young man who is excessively attached to his mother; …   Useful english dictionary

  • mother's boy — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms mother s boy : singular mother s boy plural mother s boys a mummy s boy …   English dictionary

  • Mother's boy (disambiguation) — Mother s boy, mummy s boy or mama s boy is a term for a man excessively attached to his mother. The term may also refer to: Mama s Boy (film), a 2007 comedy starring Diane Keaton Mama s Boy, debut novella by Fran Friel Mama s Boy , a track from… …   Wikipedia

  • Mother's Boy (1913 film) — Mother s Boy Directed by Henry Lehrman Produced by Mack Sennett Starring Fatty Arbuckle Release date(s) …   Wikipedia

  • Mother's Boy (1929 film) — Mother s Boy Directed by Bradley Barker Produced by Robert Kane Written by Gene Markey (story, screenplay) Starring …   Wikipedia

  • mother's boy — /ˈmʌðəz bɔɪ/ (say mudhuhz boy) noun a boy or man who is excessively attached to his mother and often somewhat effeminate. Also, mummy s boy …  

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