They say you can raise the perfect child, until they mix with other children. Over the last few weeks I have had some detailed insight into that topic.

Over the last month or so Rachel has been playing outside almost every hour that she isn't in nursery. She has become so sociable, and it is so funny to see her playing games like 'mummy and daddy' and hopscotch. She seems to have aged 4 years in just 4 short weeks.

I love seeing her interact in a large group, I love how confident she is, and how much she enjoys the company of other children, especially girls.

However not all the behaviour changes have been positive. Rachel has always been strong willed, but rarely cheeky. Yet when out playing she has started to really stand her ground, and refuse to come in when I call her, telling me " I will come in when I want to come in!"

We also heard her talking about boyfriends yesterday. To be fair the kids were playing 'mummy's' and Rachel asked one of the other girls to be her boyfriend, so she obviously doesn't get the concept, but still it's a word and a concept that she has never used or thought of before.

So you see nothing too bad has occured, and she hasn't been intorduced to hard drugs or anything, but slowly it is beginning to dawn on me that there is only so much I can protect her from, and only so much I can influence her, or stop other people influencing her. From here on in she will be exposed to things outside of my control.

I have never thought of myself as a control freak, but now I am beginning to wonder.........