Is this unusual

[Person66]

I was wondering if it was unusual for my boyfriend to be so close to his nephew (I certainly don't mean in an inappropriate way as his family is far away in Maryland). He's 24 and very close to his nephew. I understand him to a point, because I dote on my friend's 2 little girls.

However the other day I was at his apartment and his nephew called very distressed about (ironically) a forum like this one. He has dyscalculia (like me) a math learning disorder that causes him to mix up numbers (mine just makes me bad at math). He entered the wrong birthdate which made him seem 21'insteadof 11. The webmaster called him a fraud and banned him from the site, and he can't talk to his friends.

My boyfriend calmed him down and told him how to appeal the decision. It just surprised that he contacted my Bf instead of talking to his parents. He always contacts my BF first when he's upset, via telephone or Skype. My boyfriend always gets him really nice presents for hbirthday, Christmas or no reason at all, that's normal too as I do that with my friend's girls.

Why do you think the boy is so attached to my BF. I'm not jealous or anything, that would be ridiculous as he's only 11.

I'm just curious what you guys think about this?

[pellaz]

When i first met my partner he was so dead set against having his own children.

In the mean time he introduced two straight friends for a blind date. They hit off; married, children and now he has declared him self an uncle to their toddler. Kinda a pain, since these friends live in the mountains. But we visit the child quite often.

My partner has really re thought the child concept. I really think gay men are wired to do this. He really gets along with both the husband and the wife in a none threatening way. The child, a toddler, really looks up to him.

Maybe you have this same thinking inside you too?

[LateBloomer]

Just a stab in the dark...

I'm guessing the nephew doesn't have an older brother.

It sounds like his father is in the picture, so that's good.

I think it's totally normal for a boy to look up to a older male as a role model, ESPECIALLY in the absence of an older brother.

[Nick9]

Maybe the boy doesn't have that close relationship with his father.
Maybe his parents don't understand/support socializing over the internet. So your friend was his first choice when he needed help with the forum.

[Rainbowmum]

Children seem to attach themselves to someone they are comfortable with and trust.
At times it may not be their parents but another member of the family.

My eldest son Jay has two daughters and he loves them to death.
Yet the youngest one Shyanne is attached to Jesse ( my youngest son,)
If her uncle is around the rest of us are invisible ,( even Nicole her mum.) when Jesse is not there , she becomes daddy's little girl again.

It's the strangest thing , yet so very beautiful and reassuring.

The eldest one Shaniece is a complete Nana's girl ,if I am around she sticks to me like glue.
I am always the first one she calls , when something is bothering her.