Ask Amy: My Kid Has a Not-So-Secret Admirer

Does another kid have an unrequited crush on your kid? How does your kid shut it down without seeming cruel or unkind?

A listener on FB asks:

A girl has a big crush on my 8-year-old boy. She follows him around, always tries to sit next to him, and is constantly trying to talk to him. He isn't interested in her (or anyone); he just wants to hang out with his buddies. I told him he doesn't have to like her back, but he just can't be mean to her. Is there anything he can say to her that isn't mean but will let her know he doesn't want to hang out with her?

Amy explains that setting boundaries is just as important for boys as it is for girls and gives some practice phrases for kids to do just that. There is a way to take the middle road of validating both kids' emotions while maintaining healthy boundaries and decorum, she says.

Links:

Rae Jacobson for Child Mind Institute: "Helping Girls Deal With Unwanted Sexual Attention"

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