Love is in The Air: Someone Has A Crush On My Daughter

This column will undoubtedbly serve as future embarrassment for my daughter. I’d prefer to look at this entry as one for the "scrapbook of life." I’m just preserving memories here.

Two boys are vying for my young daughter’s affection and attention. In preschool that translates into circle and lunchtime seating arrangement competitions and struggles to get one-on-one time during free play. It’s a triangle of love that my daughter seems to be oblivious to (see photo).

In fact, there are so many little crushes swirling around my daughter’s preschool classroom right now that one could easily script an episode for “90210.” The parents are having fun exchanging stories:

“Ethan thinks he needs to fight Owen to win Brooke but is afraid of Owen’s big muscles.”

“Chrissy said she wants to marry Jake.”

We laugh and delight in the drama of it all. But, I have to wonder: Are preschool crushes normal? I mean, where do they get this stuff? A quick search online proves preschool crushes prevail. In fact, two out of three people admit to having crushes when they were a mere 4 or 5 -years-old.

If you suspect your child may have a crush, experts agree that it is best not to push for details but instead ask general questions and let your child take the lead. Don’t laugh or poke fun. This is serious business to them. Maybe you will discover if the feelings are mutual or maybe it will offer you an opportunity to talk to your child about friendships, respecting feelings, and having fun with friends.

I love the innocence. I love that tomorrow the two boys could move on and we’d still be able to have play-dates together with none of that “ex-boyfriend” drama. Perhaps preschool crushes are life’s little way of preparing parents for the real deal, complete with teenage angst and heartbreak.

For now, I’m going to sit back. I don’t tease my daughter. I don’t even bring up these crushes to her. But I’ll admit I do smile when another parent tells me of their son’s affection for her. Hey, I think she’s pretty special, too.

Happy Valentine’s Day!