Young Love: My Daughter's First Crush

It was inevitable: My daughter’s first crush. I didn’t really expect it to come so soon, though...isn’t barely 5 a bit young? Well apparently not, especially since my daughter has known the little guy her entire life, and they are only two months apart in age.

Little Man has been our neighbor since birth and our kids have been in school together since they were 1. Little Man’s mom and I marvel at the fact that even in a classroom with other girls and boys who they both knew, our kids gravitated towards each other, out of comfort and connection. When they were carpooling to school, their conversations resembled that of an old, married couple:

HIM: “I had a hot dog for dinner last night”

HER: “No, you didn’t”

HIM: “Yes, I did”

HER: “No, you didn’t”

HIM: “MOOOM! Tell her I had a hot dog for dinner last night!”

This summer, they are at the same camp and in the same group. Of course they chose each other as swim buddies and sit together on the bus ride to the pool (no surprise there). In the fall, they’ll start kindergarten together. Will they ever tire of one another? Do we even want them to?

Seeing a little first crush develop is so sweet. Hearing how my daughter inserts his name into conversations and seeing her drawings with his name on family pictures (our family of 4 turned into a family of 5 in a recent picture) is heartwarming. Even listening to their bickering can be funny knowing it’s coming from 5-year olds who sound like they've been married for 35 years.

No doubt there will come a time when they’ll go their separate ways: Little Man will want to play with the boys and my daughter will want to dress up like a princess with her girlfriends...

But, in the meantime, observing this cute little crush is a great reminder of how wonderful and sweet a first little love can be.

Did your kids have a first crush? If so, how long did it last? Share your stories here!