Does your 5th grader date?

[shatzjsl]

No only NO, but HECK NO!

 

[popeyeohoh]

The thing with hoop earrings is that the girls with the boyfriends and make up wear them. I guess I just don't like the package. Hoop earrings alone are o.k. it's just that they now represent to me girls growing up too fast.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I have an 5th and an 8th grader who don't date. My older DD may go to movies with a group of people including boys.
When she was in grammar school there was a girl & boy in the 3rd grade that use to "date" - exchange presents, IM etc. And the parents thought that was cute!
I think all these kids are way too young even.

 

[Trish Bessette]

My DD is in 5th grade and does not date. However, her friends have boyfriends. Although I don't agree with the whole boyfriend thing, it is not a big deal here. They don't talk on the phone, all they do is IM each other. Kind of funny I think

My daughter does wear funky earrings though. She just loves accessories! And that really doesn't bother me. As a parent I need to pick and choose the battles and for me what they wear (unless it is skimpy) is not a battle worth fighting. She has the long dangle earrings, hoop, studs, you name it. Plus my daughter is very tall for her age, 5'7" so bigger earrings look okay on her. I'm not sure if I'd like it if she was much smaller like most of the girls are in her grade.

 

[kasar]

I have 4th and 6th grade girls and I've seen so many different scenarios from girls who started going to the movies alone with a boy in 4th grade (!) to parents who won't even let their girls talk or IM with boys. I guess it all depends on your tolerance level for that kind of stuff.

I'm kinda middle-of-the-road on this one. I don't mind "boyfriends" as long as it doesn't become the center of our universe - no dating, but occasional phone calls are okay. My kids are so busy with their lives it's hardly a blip on our radar right now and that's just fine with me!

 

[goofy4tink]

I have a DD in the 5th grade-they have had dances this year along with the 6,7&8th grades and we wouldn't let her go. the first one she was a little upset but she had a friend sleepover. when it came around to the other 2 dances Christmas & Valentine's day she didn't even care. All the girls were making a big deal over who was going with who-we told her those weren't our values and she understood.She is also more interested in her ice skating, neopets, going to the mall with her grandma! we think maybe in the 7th grade she could go to the school dances.

Sounds like my dd!! Loves those neopets and shopping at the mall. Not ice skating but basketball. However, she has had one young man that seems to be more than a little interested in her in her class. He keeps giving her little gifts. Then on Valentine's Day, he had a special card for her...not one of those little ones that you give to everyone in your class but a nice big store bought one. In it he added a ps that said..."Let's keep this our little secret." My dh knows his parents so we aren't overly concerned. Dd thinks it's kind of funny but has no interest in having a boyfriend. But, there are others in her class who do and the moms seem to really relish it. I think it's way too early to worry about the boy/girl thing. 6th grade is when the school dances start,so we'll start worrying then.

 

[tar heel]

My fifth grader still thinks girls have cooties.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

My DS (6th grade) has just started getting interested in girls. He also has been attending the middle school dances and there is a girl who "likes" him. They talk to each other online and once a day on the phone (she goes to the other middle school on the other side of town) and he and his friends met with her and her friends at the movies one Saturday afternoon.

 

[Tink33]

My 5th grade DD's best friend is a boy. They go to movies, call each other on the phone and IM. He cheers for her during her hockey games and she roots him on during his football games. We even took him to Disneyland last month.

I guess I am in the minority, because I don't see a problem.

 

[SuBeat]

My DS is in 5th grade and the boyfriend/girlfriend, "going together" thing has become a very big deal. But at this point, I think it is completely innocent and simply makes them feel good that someone likes them. Most of these kids don't spend their free time hanging out together and I don't know of any that have gone to the movies or on a real "date." There is a local business here that has started holding "Tween Scene" dances for 5th/6th graders every week, and DS loves attending them. He hangs out with his friends, dances with a girl when a slow song is played, then goes back to hanging out with his friends. Even the kids that are supposedly couples don't spend the entire evening with each other. There is a lot more talking and laughing going on than anything else.

They may use the phrase "going out" when desribing these couples, but that doesn't mean anyone is actually "going" anywhere.

 

[missypie]

I have a 6th grade DD and an 8th grade DS and NO NO NO! Neither dates. Neither is interested. I have heard "experts" say that girls with a strong male influence in their lives will date later than girls with no father or other male in their lives...don't know if that's true.

We spend a lot of time in the summer at the city pool. The summer after 4th grade we use to see this group of girls that had been in DDs class...we would always encourage DD to join them, but she never wanted to. Finally she told us why: "All they do is talk about boys!"

 

[cats7494]

My DD is in 5th grade too. I think it is sad that your dd friend is allowed to do this. Way too young and there are way more important things in life!
Honestly - can't the parents find better things for her dd to do? My daughter is very active in gymnastics, volleyball, church choir, etc....and add in all the homework from school..I have no idea how the friend of your dd even has time to do all that!

She does not wear make up - but she loves cute/funky earrings. That is my influence - I guess. I love, love, love funky jewelry!

 

[CookieGVB]

My older son is in 8th grade, and he's got a girlfriend. He only ever sees her in school, or at school dances - that's fine by me. I told him he's not dating yet. Hell, I won't even let him go to the mall by himself - I hate hate HATE all the teenage snipes hanging out at the mall - bleh!

My 6th grader thinks "all the girls dig him" - agghh.

 

[Carl]

Anybody see "Yes, Dear" last Wednesday? They were really making fun of parents pushing their children (here 5 year olds) into having girlfriends.

 

[pyrxtc]

Nope no dating and make-up is okay when she starts high school but hoop earrings are different. I don't see any corrolation bewtween this and the other two things. My 5th grader wears hoops and dangly earrings. My 2nd grader can wear short dangly earrings and smaller hoops. I don't see the big deal about earrings??

 

[battricia]

I had "boyfriends" when I was in 4th and 5th grade, we would hang out but it was nothing like 'dating'. We'd usually sit around and fling rubberbands at eachother, or go to a fair or whatever, honestly I wouldn't be that concerned.


tricia.

 

[chasbos]

UM - NO! I have all girls 13, 11, 9, & 6 - yes it is a hormonal nightmare some days! But none of them have boyfriends and actually have no interest as of yet. They are all very involved in there own lives (figure skating, hockey, dance, soccer, baseball, golf, track and school) and I am glad for it. DD has a girl 13 on one of her sports team who has been dating for 2 years now and it is way to serious. She skips games and practices to be with him, calls him when we are away. That is just too much neediness at that age!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Nope no dating and make-up is okay when she starts high school but hoop earrings are different. I don't see any corrolation bewtween this and the other two things. My 5th grader wears hoops and dangly earrings. My 2nd grader can wear short dangly earrings and smaller hoops. I don't see the big deal about earrings??

I don't see a problem with hoop earrings either. I wasn't allowed to wear makeup or date in 5th grade, but was basically allowed to wear any earrings I wanted. I turned out all right, even if I do say so myself!

 

[Momto2Minnies]

My older DD is almost 11 and in the 5th grade. She has no interest in boys yet. Her friends do not seem to be interested in "dating" either. I am glad that that is the case as I feel she is way too young to have a BF.

 

[CruiserDew37]

hahah... this made me remember... I had a 'girlfriend' in 5th grade, but i kept it a secret from my parents, but basically all we did was eat lunch together every once and a while, although i was busted when we were caught holding hands at her bday party during the slow skate

I ended up dating this girl again in 8th grade (which was when i was allowed) and we actually did fun things, but again it was nothing serious. Still more buddy-buddy like someone else said. It's not until highschool that is really anything more than buddy/buddy anyway (in my experience, anyway )