{"id":1610,"date":"2014-05-26T07:18:32","date_gmt":"2014-05-26T14:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/?p=1610"},"modified":"2014-05-26T07:18:32","modified_gmt":"2014-05-26T14:18:32","slug":"how-to-help-your-children-navigate-their-first-crush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/2014\/05\/26\/how-to-help-your-children-navigate-their-first-crush\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Your Children Navigate Their First Crush"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"holdinghands\"<\/a>As a nanny or parent, you surely remember your first crush. The moments when your hands were sweaty and your heart was beating rapidly when he or she walked in the room. Just as you endured the emotions of young love, your children will likely soon experience their first taste of it, too.<\/p>\n

If you suddenly notice that your child has a gleam in her eye, a never-ending smile and a skip in her step, it\u2019s possible that she is wading through her first crush. It\u2019s important, though, to provide the support and nurturing he or she needs during this time while letting nature take its course as your child learns about heavy hearts, butterflies in the stomach and the highs and lows of relationships.<\/p>\n

From \u2018Like\u2019 to \u2018Love:\u2019 The Stages of a Crush<\/b><\/p>\n

The reality is that everyone experiences a crush. \u201cWe have all been there,\u201d says Neil McNerney<\/a>, a licensed professional counselor at Virginia Tech. \u201cAll we have to do is remember the stages we went through.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to McNerney, the stages for a preteen girl may include:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019s really cute but so are other boys.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But, he\u2019s cuter than the other boys. Plus he\u2019s really nice, athletic, funny, etc.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He might actually like me, too.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019s the cutest guy at school. No one else compares.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nothing else matters as long as I can think of him.<\/p>\n

As children progress from \u2018liking\u2019 another person to falling head over heels, it\u2019s important to allow them to process these feelings on their own. Avoid telling them what they can and cannot feel, says McNerney. It will backfire if you tell him or her that crushes are not allowed. However, you can set limits for what they can and can\u2019t do, such as ensuring that a chaperone is always present when your child is at the mall or movies with his or her crush.<\/p>\n

What NOT To Say<\/b><\/p>\n

Even though you may still view your preteen or teen as a child, the reality is that she is growing up and experiencing real feelings about another person. The crush is very real and personal. \u201cDon\u2019t make fun or call it cute,\u201d advises McNerney. \u201cThis is serious business and telling your preteen that it\u2019s not a big deal will only create distance between the two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teasing only backfires, says McNerney. \u201cBe gentle,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not her little \u2018boyfriend.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of minimizing or belittling the crush to your child, listen and validate the feelings, recommends Dr. Jamie Rishikof<\/a>, Massachusetts-based licensed psychologist. \u201cDo not even call it a crush as that can sound trivializing,\u201d he says. \u201cMostly, just listen. If he or she does not bring it up, do not call her on it. And, never mention it to third parties, especially in front of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lending an ear to listen to your child during this time is one of the best strategies since there is not much a parent or nanny can do in this situation, says Rishikof. \u201cIt is a valuable part of life and growing up. If she asks advice, you can offer suggestions on what to do or not to do, but know that she may completely ignore that advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

If your child does not ask, avoid offering unsolicited advice. Unfortunately, he or she may need to learn the hard way, says Rishikof. \u201cYou can be there for her if things turn bad, having taught her that you are there to listen and you will not judge,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Picking Up the Pieces<\/b><\/p>\n

It is inevitable that the crush will not last forever. Your child may lose interest, move his or her attention to another or end up with a broken heart. Even though it is tempting to try to step in and protect your child from heartbreak, it\u2019s best to let nature take its course. \u201cYou can inadvertently do more harm than good as she may see your actions as invasive, controlling and indifferent to her feelings,\u201d says Rishikof.<\/p>\n

When the heartbreak happens, the best thing you can do is give a silent hug with a couple of \u201cI\u2019m so sorry\u201d expressions. \u201cOur preteen needs to know that, at that moment, we understand how hurt they feel,\u201d says McNerney. \u201cDon\u2019t tell her that she will feel better in the morning. It never helps to remind someone in pain that it will feel better in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a nanny or parent, you surely remember your first crush. The moments when your hands were sweaty and your heart was beating rapidly when he or she walked in the room. Just as you endured the emotions of young … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1610"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1612,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1610\/revisions\/1612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}