was I thinking? I have Christmas shopping to do tomorrow, and I let my daughter have a sleepover. She invited two of her best friends over to celebrate the fact that their school is out for the holiday (she’s homeschooled). They’ve played in the make-up, they’ve played FibFinder, they’ve played Waitress and now they’re watching movies. At 11:30 EST. And while I’m on the subject of said girlfriends, I have an opinion I need to express to the rest of the parents of pre-teens worldwide:
Folks, do NOT say to your child “You’re too young for a boyfriend/girlfriend”. Saying that will pretty much guarantee your child will NOT come to you for advice when it’s important.
Why do I say this? GF was in the bathroom crying her eyes out. I go to check on her, and we talk a bit. Come to find out, her boyfriend “cheated” on her and told her he never liked her to begin with. She admitted that he’s never really liked her, but she likes him. She spent most of the time trying to convince me to NOT tell her mom & dad. Why? “Because they say I’m too young for a boyfriend and won’t HELP ME with the problem”. I got her calmed down and then we talked some more. What did I tell her? Two things:
1. Yes, you really are too young for a boyfriend, but I realize that’s not going to stop you.
2. If you absolutely HAVE to have a boyfriend, go with the guy who likes you, not the guy who treats you like trash. At your age, ugly can change into hottie, but jerk is FOREVAH.
Parents, don’t think of these relationships your kids have as insignificant. You wouldn’t give a Ferrari Formula One car to someone who’s never behind the wheel, right? Why turn your kids loose as adults with no experience in relationships?