My friend Heather over at Desperately Seeking Sanity posted awhile ago (I had this post all prepared but forgot to publish it so figured I’d go ahead and share it) about an issue that she was having to deal with that involves her first grade daughter and a boy on the bus. For the full story, click here

Although my story isn’t quite as ‘harsh’ as hers it did remind me of something that just happened with my 9 year old son and an 8 year old girl that lives here in our apartment complex. And maybe I just over reacted because after all I do remember being Caleb’s age and how fun and exciting and harmless it was to pass ‘love’ letters back and forth. Anyways…the story goes like this:

Caleb comes bouncing through the door a couple days ago with a piece of paper in his hand (for him not wanting me to know what it was he sure wasn’t concealing it very well…lol) so naturally I asked what it was. He was a bit hesitant about telling me what it was but finally he handed it to me.

Now that I’m sitting here writing about this, it does seem kind of silly that I reacted the way I did. It was a note, form the little girl that lives a few apartments down, showing Caleb and her holding hands. She drew a big heart in the center of her chest and wrote I love you Caleb. At the top of the page she wrote are you my boyfriend?

I had the talk with Caleb again (we’ve had this conversation every year for the past 2 years because he seems to think it’s appropriate to have a couple girlfriends!) about how he is only 9 and too young for a girlfriend and he can tell her no he isn’t her boyfriend.

I should of known he was up to something when he said he was going to write her a note. He wrote two notes - one for me to see and one for ‘her eyes only’ The one he showed me said no I am not your boyfriend but the actual letter he gave her said I am your boyfriend (and I only know this because he told me).

I guess I didn’t really need to react the way I did but I just don’t want him growing up thinking that having a girlfriend (or in his case having a few girlfriends) is all that life is about. And as harsh as this is going to sound…I don’t want him following in his father’s foot steps!!!!

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