Being able to check in with achild anytime goes a long way toward relieving parental angst and may helpparents loosen the apron strings a little sooner.
A boy who is "tied to his mother's apron strings" is controlled by his mother.
It can be a huge mistake for a woman to marry a "mama's boy" who is still "tied to his mother's apron strings."
"Why not?" she replied, not giggling. She tightened her apron strings and walked over to her stove.
