( CNN ) -- As we head into Father 's Day , I wanted to reveal a little secret for all the fathers who are doing their best to be great dads and great men . I 'm the single mother of a wonderful 9-year-old son . At 46 , I 've learned more about men from being his mother than I ever learned throughout decades of dating , marriage , divorce , engagement and a broken engagement . It 's true . We talk about everything under the sun . The authenticity with which his boyhood exhibits itself constantly keeps me on my toes as often as he keeps me laughing . I thought I knew everything , but by watching my son 's perspective on life -- he does n't hide anything -- I learn more about the male species . In his innocence , he breaks it down better than 100 hours of Oprah can . For instance : . Mommy , why are your legs so hairy ? Lesson No . 1 : Men like it when women maintain their looks . Whenever I 'm burning the candle at both ends , my son reminds me to take care of myself . The first time he noticed my hairy legs was the first time I realized I had let my personal grooming go a little too much . As a fashion expert , my image is usually rather polished and stylish -- in public . However , in private , when I get home the first thing I do is I take off my bra and change into cozy sweats and a T-shirt . If it 's winter and my legs are hidden ( and I 'm not dating anyone ) , I confess that I often forget to shave . Only my son and I know that I let the hair on my legs grow a liiiiittle tooooo loooong when it 's disguised under pants during the winter . When he notices , I know it 's time to remind myself to maintain my self-esteem for myself ... and my man . Your legs are so pretty , why do n't you wear more dresses ? Lesson No . 2 : Men love it when women wear dresses . Nothing humbles this fashionista more than when my son asks me to wear dresses more often . I only wear dresses if I 'm attending special evening events , so his eyes light up whenever I step out in a dress . I 've been blessed with my mother 's and grandmother 's pretty legs . I rarely used to show them off . Now I do -- because my son reminds me that I should . Sometimes boys do crazy things , Mom . Lesson No . 3 : Sometimes men do crazy things . The other day I heard a thumping noise coming from my son 's bathroom . He was using the toilet plunger to create what he called `` cool sounds '' on the wall . I had a fit . I was openly annoyed at him for spreading germs on the wall . He was tasked with wiping the wall down with antibacterial wipes . After he finished he said , `` I 'm sorry . I know it did n't make any sense . But it was fun ! Sometimes boys do crazy things , Mom , '' to which I replied , `` You 're right ! '' I all could do was hug him and smile . When can I have a play date ? Lesson No . 4 : Men behave better when they 're allowed to play . To all you smothering women out there . `` Stop ! '' My son gets ants in his pants on rainy days . He pouts , he gets moody and irritable whenever he ca n't release his male energy . He thrives whenever he plays with other boys . I would rather be a golf widow than stress over my man 's whereabouts . Cars , sports , bars , smartphones , computers , techy stuff and video games . These are just toys for big boys . If your man needs time to hang out with the boys , do n't try to stop him . If you encourage him to go outside and play , he 'll come home even faster when the streetlights come on . No matter how old they are , men will always be boys at heart . I 'm a big boy now Mommy ! Lesson No . 5 : Men will always be boys , but they want a woman to treat them like a man . My son loves it when I treat him like a big boy , and I let him do big boy stuff with other boys . Even little boys want to be treated like big boys . If I had a dollar for every time I unknowingly emasculated a man ( before I learned better from my son ) , I would be a gazillionaire . I grew up assuming I had to work as hard as a man if I wanted to lead a successful life . I thought that meant I also had to lead men in my personal life . If I had known better , I would have let my man wear the pants while I led him in a dress . Now I wear more dresses than ever ... and I shave my legs , too . Opinion : Son , this is how to be a man . Opinion : My dad gave me life - twice . When is 'Daddy ' more than DNA ? Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
Mary Greene laughs at the things she has learned about men from her young age . The differences across generations -- from taking care of herself to allowing men time to play . And sometimes , her year - old son tells her , ` ` can do crazy things , Mom ''