First Crush

My daughter is older than most kids in her class.  In the state in which we live, schools cut off their ages at September 1st.  My Baby Girl was born 8 days after the cut off.  I had always thought that maybe she should be able to go to the grade ahead of where she was, but Jason disagreed.  The way he looked at it was further down the road, "When she's going off to college, she'll be an 18 year old one month away from being 19 instead of a 17 year old one month away from being 18.  That will make a difference."  And as much as I hate to admit it, he was right.

But because she's usually the first one to have a birthday in her class, there are other things she's first at doing, she's also about a head and a half taller than the other girls in her class.  I'm sure there will be other things that she'll be first doing, like driving.  Good lord!

Last night we went for our usual lightning bug walk and when we paused a bench to sit and watch them she said this, "Mom.  Do you remember your first crush?"  Oh Lord!  I told her that I, indeed, could not remember who my first crush was so I couldn't help her when she asked me what I did about it.  She informed me that there's a boy in her class that she likes.  When I probed further, it turns out that she likes him as a friend so technically it's not a crush.  It's just a I-like-you-as-a-friend-and-you're-not-a-girl kinda thing, but I didn't tell her that.  She said most of the girls don't play with her because she'd rather go play with the boys.  I told her that that was the curse of being a tomboy.  Most girls don't like it when other girls can play with boys and be comfortable with it. 

So the only advice I could give to my little girl at the time was, "Just be friends with him.  Maybe later, he'll ask you out (you know, like in Jr. high!).  I'm sure he's getting ragged on by his friends since he hangs around you and includes you in games they play. So just be his friend right now."

That seemed to ease her mind.  At least for now.