Do boys prefer tomboys rather than girly girls?
Someone once said that a man's ideal woman would be 87 percent girl and 13 per cent boy.
Actually no one said that, apart from me just then. But it does sound like one of those things someone said. A great thinker like Oscar Wilde or Socrates or Sharon Osbourne. But whoever said it (it was me) there is some truth in it... probably.
Girls are ace but they can be very different to boys and that can cause problems in terms of things to talk about and do together. For this reason, a girl who's into traditionally laddish pursuits like footie and fort building could seem more fun and approachable, as it means we don't have to pussyfoot around her. (What a brilliant word pussyfoot is, by the way. Although, if I was a cat I'd be slightly offended by its negative connotations.)
So yeah, tomboys can be refreshing. There are limits to this, clearly. Patting us playfully on the arm is okay, setting fire to our legs is not.
There's also the danger, if you're too boyish, that we'll actually start treating you like a boy, which might not be what you want if, for instance, you fancy us. But as long as you don't grow a huge flowing beard or something, it should be fine.
This doesn't mean that, if you're a nice girl who abhors all forms of petty violence, you need to head-butt the next lad that runs off with your scrunchy. Essentially, many boys do like girls to be girly and soft. But girly doesn't have to mean always wearing pink and crying whenever you see a spider on TV. Girly is just being a girl really, isn't it? And most boys like girls.
Or at least, they like 87 per cent of a girl. (That doesn't really make sense anymore does it?)
Please remember: Kev is not an expert, he is just a boy and sometimes quite a silly boy. The main thing to remember when it comes to lads and relationships is to expect respect as the absolute minimum. Find out more about a Women's Aid campaign of the same name.
Previous letters:
