I’m Blaming Disney…

(Even though I know, ultimately, it’s my fault since I’m the one who pushed the princesses on her for these past few years.)

Nia has a crush at school.  His name is Colin and she says he has a nice haircut and is cute.

WHAT?!?!?

ALREADY?!?!

Part of me thinks it’s adorable but the other part of me wants to shelter her from knowing all the hurt that comes out of crushes and young love.  This shouldn’t be starting so soon!  I had at least waited until I was in the first grade before I smooched my crush on his ear after saying to him, “I have to tell you a secret.”  Pretty sly, huh?

It just seems that 4-years-old is too young to even be noticing that someone is cute!  What makes the whole thing even worse is that she told me Colin doesn’t really play with her.  She says it’s because he plays with other girls that he thinks are prettier.  !!!!!!!  She told me that he liked her long hair better.  !!!!!!!!!!   Now, I don’t know how much of this I can believe since she says he never actually told her those things.  She’s, like, just assuming them or something but still!  The fact that she even knows to say something like “the other girls are prettier” – how heartbreaking is that?

I guess it has begun and there’s nothing we can do about it.  I just don’t think I can handle my baby girl feeling bad because of some boy (or anything for that matter).  Not now or when it’s really going to hurt.  I know it’s all a part of growing up and we all went through it – it’s just different when it’s happening to the people you want to protect the most.