Girlfriends and boyfriends help

[crazygracieuk]

Dh and I were at single sex schools in the 70s and 80s so it may be a sign of the times thing but here goes...
Does your pre-teen (in primary) have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Dc1 is 11 (y6) and had a girlfriend (his words not mine) every year since y3. Is this common?

How do you keep an eye on their relationship? Dc1 is allowed to go out with his friends after school and I don't think he has even kissed his girlfriend but on the other hand I don't want dc to be the kid who's expecting a kid at 12 or something. I don't know his girlfriend's family as y6 go to school on their own.

Recently dc1 has become more interested in boobs and bras. Eg he has his friends were admiring Kelly Brook in lingerie.

At the moment he's happy to discuss his girlfriends in secret )without younger siblings listening) but I'm not sure how to encourage him to use me as someone he can confide in- especially when he's at secondary and makes new friends and is subject to new kinds of peer pressure.

I had a "boyfriend" in year 5. It was really innocent - we used to hide to hold hands (because everyone would have teased us) and I think kissed in pretty much the way you would kiss an aunty, hiding under my coat

I then moved schools (unrelated) and lost touch with him, and didn't have a real boyfriend until I was 16.

I think that "boyfriend/girlfriend"s are very different to preteens as they are to older teens. :)

Neither of mine had GF/BFs at that age, but I know there were children who did. If they had, I think I would have encouraged them to think of them as friends rather than GF/BFs, and would have stressed the importance of forming good friendships with a range of people. Is he involved in sports/other activities that give him a focus outside the whole relationship-y thing?

Most of my DD s friends (y5 ) and my DD are 'going out' with a boy. It doesn't involve any sort of physical contact, or going anywhere, as far as I can tell. All very innocent.

ChocolatelyClare- his girlfriend's parents are divorced so she is often at her Dad's during the weekend and holidays. He last saw her on 30 March and win't be back until next Sunday. He is on the school football and cross country team and is mad about BMX, scooters and computer games.

Thanks for all the replies so far. I know he has kissed a girl but I found out from him a year after it'd happened.