FIRST CRUSH? Love your children all the more By Paul Clark WNC Parent contributor
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our daughter, who normally talks her way through church, sits silently, staring at her bowl of cereal. Your son, who would wear his clothes all week if he could, now showers every day. Somebody’s in love. First crushes can be exhilarating. And they can be crushing. Children whose only experience with love has been centered around family and close friends are wrestling with an unfamiliar, confusing sort of love. They’re on top of the world one moment and in the pits the next. It’s enough to drive you crazy. But what about them? What can you do to help your child through this delicate time? Should you do anything at all? Crushes happen to most children about the time they hit puberty, according to Kurt D. Michael, a psychology professor at Appalachian State University. In North America, that means between 8-14 years for most girls and ages 10-15 for most boys. It happens after they’ve ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK.COM
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