Trouble with the Ladies

Owen has been going through a very interesting psychological development in the last couple of weeks. I just don't get it. It has to do with what Owen calls 'ladies' - which really are any younger (high school/college age) attractive females. He totally loses his cool and gets very nervous/uncomfortable around them. We go to gymnastics every Tuesday and there is a college girl there (Miss Dani), who I have to admit is very pretty, and Owen bows his head and turns away whenever she is near. This week, he refused to go in the gymnastics room, which is very out of character for him, because she was at the door. We finally got him in and he spent the entire class on the trampoline. I could tell that whenever Miss Dani was not watching him, he was focused on her, and whenever she came near he started showing off.

On Wednesdays (today) we go to a playgroup at the high school, where there are high school students (mostly girls) there to play with the kids. Last week Owen was very uncomfortable and clingy (again, totally not like him at playgroup) and I didn't know if he was sick or something. Today, on the way to playgroup he said multiple times that he didn't want to go. We walked in and he would not let me put him down, so we went back outside and I asked him what was wrong and why he didn't want to play and he said, without any prompting from me, 'because of the ladies'. Ugh. I finally talked him in to going in, and he did have fun, but any time one of them came near he turned into my legs and grabbed for me. At one point we went to a 'station' where he could paint, where there were two 'ladies' assisting, and he would only paint if they covered their eyes. As soon as they took their hands down, he lost it and needed Mommy.

While it sounds kind of cute and funny, it's really kind of strange for me. Owen has never had problems like this, and I don't want him to be nervous/scared. I also don't want to drag him places he doesn't want to go, but then again I don't want to keep him from these fun activities. I talked with the Parents as Teacher lady who runs the program about it and she said that possibly during the first week of playgroup (3 weeks ago when he was totally fine and didn't look for me once) maybe one of them came up to him and tried to pick him up or play with him and he was unsure about the whole thing and now just associates them with that experience and is nervous about it. This really could be the case, b/c that first day since he was fine I spent alot of time chatting with other Moms while he played so I didn't have my eye on him all the time (although he never acted like anything bothered him at all). She also said that alot of times when kids are on the verge of a big development, they regress a little. She said Owen is getting to the age where he will start engaging in really interactive play, so maybe he is regressing socially as his mind is gearing up for this. Who the heck knows!?! I just thought I wouldn't have to worry about Owen having girl problems until at least a few more years!! I'm hoping it's just a phase and will pass quickly. Poor fella!