Opinion: I Think Mama’s Boys Make Great Boyfriends

Mama’s boys get a bad rap, and it’s a bit unfair. They’re belittled or called names for sharing a strong connection with their moms, but it’s not actually a bad thing. In fact, I think mama’s boys actually make amazing boyfriends — here’s why:

  1. They tend to be nurturing. Sure, a tough bad boy with an attitude to match can be sexy at first, but if he’s not a nice guy, I’ll get bored of him very quickly. When he leaves me to shack up with his ex-girlfriend, I’ll wish I had a tender, nurturing guy who got those qualities from his mama.
  2. They respect women. Being close to his mother means that he likely respects her and treats her well. That also means he’ll have greater respect for women in general, which is a good thing (and also somewhat of a rarity, it seems).
  3. How they treat their moms is how they’ll treat women. They say a woman becomes her mother. As for guys, they tend to treat their girlfriends the way they treat their mothers, I’ve found. Even if a guy doesn’t have a close relationship with his mom, if he respects her and cares for her, it’s a great sign of things to come. This was the case with one guy I dated. Seeing how he was always there for his mom made me feel I was in good hands, which I was – he was always supportive of me.
  4. They know how to deal with women. Being close to their mothers means mama’s boys have had a crash course in how women think and feel, which is always a good thing for when I’m trying to get a guy to see my perspective on things. Emotional intelligence is a must for me in relationships.
  5. They’re not ageist. A man who loves an older woman and sees her as beautiful in spite of her wrinkles is really sexy. It makes me feel that he’ll love me as I grow older, instead of trading me in for a younger model.
  6. They’re comfortable around women. Being able to relate to a woman, such as his mother, means that he’s comfortable around women because he’s worked on having a strong relationship with her that involves communicating, sharing, and affection. That’s my kinda guy!
  7. They value strong women. His mother raised him through all the tough times that were thrown at her. Maybe she was even a single mother. He can appreciate what women go through because of this and so he’s likely to want a strong woman for himself. I knew a guy who had been raised, along with his four brothers, by a single mom. Because of this, he truly respected strong women and wanted to date one.
  8. They tend to be loyal. There’s no way his relationship with his mother has been rosy all his life, but he’s still close to her, or at least connected after all their tough times. That’s a great sign. He cares for her a lot and values family. This loyalty will tend to spread to other areas of his life, such as his romantic relationships.
  9. They don’t care how they’re seen in society. Guys have lots of pressure placed on them to be strong and tough, but when a guy can take a stand and say he’s a proud mama’s boy, it’s so refreshing to me! He doesn’t care if he’s going to be mocked, which shows how strong he is and how he isn’t afraid to be himself.
  10. It doesn’t mean they’re too nice. Just because a guy is close to his mother, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be one of those guys who are too nice or a pushover. Why should it? Why do we think that if a man is close to his mother, he’s going to lack masculinity? Women are strong and teach their sons to be tough as well as independent. Just because he’s a decent guy who respects women doesn’t mean he can’t be tough too.
  11. They’re attracted to nurturing women. If his relationship with his mother is healthy, he’ll view women who are nurturing beings as beautiful. He won’t try to take advantage of them like some toxic guy. He also won’t need to treat his GF as a mothering figure (thank goodness) because he’s got that relationship down with his real mother. This makes me feel I can be my nurturing self without getting manipulated or used (been there, done that).
  12. They see women as more than just sexual beings. There are too many men out there who view women as nothing more than sexual. It’s sick, but a mama’s boy who respects his mother will have learned from a very young age that women are meant to be valued for their minds and souls, not just for how they rock a swimsuit. Thanks to his awesome mama for that one!
Giulia Simolo is a writer from Johannesburg, South Africa with a degree in English Language and Literature. She has been working as a journalist for more than a decade, writing for sites including AskMen, Native Interiors, and Live Eco. You can find out more about her on Facebook and LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter @GiuliaSimolo.
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