Fourth and fifth graders have crushes and early romantic feelings. How you react when they tell you matters enormously: staying calm and accepting now determines whether they'll trust you with bigger things later.
Having boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes— like everything else, this is also happening at a much earlier age. And how is this something that can be navigated? Children as early as 4th and 5th grade are getting attracted to others, and this is a very important connection point between a parent and a child. So always remember, the amount your child shares with you will depend on how you react to the little, little sharings that they are doing. If you're very calm, loving, accepting in the little sharings that they are doing, that means as they grow up, will share the big stuff with you. So your responses are actually determining how much your child will share.
