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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DD (11) has a boyfriend??

37 replies

Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 10:37

DD has a mobile, given just prior to leaving primary. She uses it to keep in touch with her primary school friends as she went to a different secondary but now talks to new ones with it too, which I don't mind. It's mostly stupid chainmail or asking about homework.

So she leaves her phone laying around with screen on and dh sees it has a message from a boy at new school (in her year she says bit I cannot verify, though she also speaks to boys that are friends from primary). He reads through a few and is shocked to see them both refer to him (the boy) as her bf. So he takes the phone to show me. I had a look through the whole convo...It's long...and it started off that that they were "together", she broke up with him for a prank, he was upset and wanted her to apologise. Then told her if she wanted them to be bf/gf again she would have to ask HIM out this time. So she did. Omg, I was seething.

The rest of the conversation is super fine with me, talking about games they play, homework, why they weren't in whatever club or class, things that could easily have just been from another girl.

Dh wanted me to chat with her as he already wanted to strangle the boy (figuratively, obviously) so I did. I told her that it's fine to have friends that are boys, it's fine to think they are cute (I did this myself at that age so I do understand) fine to chat and hang out, but 11year olds DO NOT HAVE BOYFRIENDS. It's just not a thing. I told her that playing a prank on someone as she confirmed she did, is not a nice thing to do but she is not to let a boy TELL her she needs to apologise and do it, if she cares or wants to, she will. He'd also told her she should prove she was sorry, she asked how and he said don't know, cry. I explained this was also not acceptable.

She says they are friends and that she understands what I'm saying but that she doesn't really "like" him. I do think she is lying about that but I do understand (found the usual "love scribblings" in her school planner-told her to keep them out of it). I don't want to be mum-friend but I do want her to feel she can talk to me openly if she needs to. I also explained that privacy was different when I was growing up and everything is more out in the open now but that she deserves privacy (with her phone, etc) but that it comes with honesty and trust so as long as she is doing that I won't be snooping through her phone every second. I do, slyly, about once a week just to make sure she is ok and being sensible as she is easily lead and not really emotionally mature.

Dh very uncomfortable with the whole thing but if he had his way she'd probably never speak to a male until 25! (lighthearted). Should I worry, should I say anything else? Those of you with pre-teen dd's, have you had this?!

OP posts:
baconandeggies · 12/12/2016 10:42

Erm... 11 year olds DO have boyfriends? If you 'ban' them she'll just hide it from you. Isn't it better for her to feel she can be open and discuss everything with you? Having a boyfriend at 11 doesn't mean she'll be getting up to anything btw. It's completely normal.

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 12/12/2016 10:45

She was cruel to him and he asked her to apologise and you think the boy is being unreasonable in that scenario?

I had my first boyfriend at 11. It was very tame and we're even still in touch over 20 years later. You are massively overreacting.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 12/12/2016 10:48

Well, you've just ensured she won't be telling you or DH anything going forward OP, well done! What a ridiculous overreaction!

BertieBotts · 12/12/2016 10:49

They just play around with being bf/gf at this age. They probably haven't even held hands. If that helps.

Thisjustinno · 12/12/2016 10:53

I had a 'boyfriend' at 11. Lots of my friends did. This was in 1989 so it's been a 'thing' for quite some time.

It's starting to explore relationships. A 'boyfriend' at 11 is very different to the sort of relationship you have at 14/15. I'd have two boyfriends in one day sometimes at 11!

Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 10:53

Ginger She was cruel to him and obviously upset him and I said she was very mean to do that, but he told her to apologise. Didn't ask her to, told her to. He told her she should cry to prove she was sorry, she said she did. Whatever she did she thought she was being funny (not quite sure how but that's her explanation), because she is emotionally immature but easily led so then did as she was told. That, I don't agree with.

I worry that relationships aren't like they were when I was that age, there's too much "out there" as it were and things that happen later on, move on to happening earlier.

OP posts:
BumDNC · 12/12/2016 10:56

They all do this. It's not 'real' BF/GF in the sense you think, they just have a title then usually break up and everyone talks about the beef (drama)
Then as time goes on usually they learn what makes a good 'boyfriend' and a bad one and who is a real friend and who is a bad one and this is how they learn about the world

It is normal
And now she might not tell you anything ever again

ShelaghTurner · 12/12/2016 10:58

I know it's scary, I have a rising 9yo and the whole boyfriend thing turns my hair white with the thought of it. But 11yos do have boyfriends. I'm 45 and had my first boyfriend at 10. We sat together at lunch and went to a couple of school discos 'together'. I held off snogging him till I just turned 12. Didn't snog anyone else for years and married in my twenties pure as the driven snow Wink. You're making a huge mountain out of a tiny molehill.

Cricrichan · 12/12/2016 10:59

Woah. My dd had a bf for a few years and has had two different ones this year. she's 10. All it means at this age is that they call each other bf and gf.

If your daughter is happy and is doing well then you don't need to snoop!

Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 10:59

whatthefreakingwhatnow oh how helpful, thank you. I think your reply is actually a massive overreaction. I don't feel at all that I've ensured she won't talk to us again! Blimey. It was a very calm conversation we had, I've never had a pre-teen dd before, can you tell?

Bertie and Thisjustinno on the one hand I completely agree and believe that and on the other I'm pretified of something happening to her that I can't make better.

Maybe it is irrational, but I don't show that to her anyway, or conversations are always calm and I let her talk and ask questions about things. I don't know what I was trying to do, make sure....something...I don't know.

OP posts:
BumDNC · 12/12/2016 10:59

Yeah she will get to learn some lessons here about emotional manipulation - don't we all at some point? Otherwise how will we learn? DD2's 'boyfriend' is a jealous sap who likes to guilt trip her and I just point out she must not drop friends because someone tells her to, stay strong minded etc and hope she gets fed up with it and I have done my job of instilling right and wrong in her. Yeah I also do comment it wasn't ok if they have done pranks or mean things but I don't demand they do x y and z Confused

Abetes · 12/12/2016 11:02

My ds is 11 and he has a girlfriend. I only know because I saw messages on his phone but he has kept it a secret from me. I know that it is pretty innocent because I drop him at school in the morning and he comes home with his big sister, so they have definitely never actually gone out anywhere together. It's part of growing up but I would be uncomfortable if they wanted to actually go somewhere together outside of school - that would be a step too far in terms of him growing up too quickly.

MsGameandWatch · 12/12/2016 11:03

I understand that your DH doesn't actually want to "strangle" this child. What I don't understand is why he feels so angry about that this. It's weird just so you know for a man to be so very angry about his daughter beginning to have totally normal relationships with boys.

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 12/12/2016 11:03

We force children to apologise to each other from the moment they can speak and then are surprised when they demand the same from their peers.

Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 11:03

Ok so general consensus is this IS a thing. Faif enough. I went to an all girls secondary so I didn't have this myself. Thank you guys.

It's fine.

And she will talk to me again, we have a very good relationship actually, I think I just let dh's horror influence my thinking more than necessary.

OP posts:
GingerAndTheBiscuits · 12/12/2016 11:06

I went to an all-girls school too, but church youth club was a hive of dating activity Grin

BumDNC · 12/12/2016 11:09

We force children to apologise to each other from the moment they can speak and then are surprised when they demand the same from their peers.

So true!

Def need to get on your DH horror, this not bode well if he is angry dad about her growing up and can't talk to her himself. DD's dad teases her a little bit about her BF but it's not a big deal. Making it into a big deal is when kids keep secrets. I assure you. If she is scared of his reaction she is less likely to tell you anything

reindeerbitesback · 12/12/2016 11:09

My 12 year old has had a boyfriend for two weeks.... she's not even seen him since they've been 'together' (he's a friend of a friend she met at a birthday party. She is at an all girls school). She's already moaning about him being immature.

Absolutely ridiculous overreaction on your part, OP, I'm sorry. The world of a preteen is complex and terrifying to parents, but put simply - your DD's "boyfriend" is little more than a friend.

Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 11:09

msgame lol. My dh is not "so very angry". I said shocked. At seeing messages from a boy calling his young daughter "bae" and them calling eachother bf/gf, and the boy telling her to cry to show she is sorry for pranking him. I don't think there's anything wrong in being shocked about seeing proof for the first time that your little girl likes a boy! Yes we all know it happens but the first time? It's a milestone, if you like.

OP posts:
Noodoodle · 12/12/2016 11:16

Bum I know he is not good with "girl" stuff, and so does he, hence he didn't know what to say and didn't want to attempt something that may alienate her. Might nit be ideal but that's life. He knows his limitations so that's good. She's not scared of his reaction, he didn't actually say a thing to her about it other than to ask if the boy was in her year and how to pronounce his name.

reindeer that's quite sweet, bless you dd, lol. No I'm sure it is, I appreciate the reassurance that I'm being ott.

OP posts:
NameChanged22 · 12/12/2016 11:18

Well it not might please you to know OP, that I married my boyfriend that I had when I was 11 Wink
Still going strong now!

MsGameandWatch · 12/12/2016 11:25

No you said he wanted to strangle him (figuratively). I stand by what I posted.

Bluntness100 · 12/12/2016 11:31

Is he the same age as her? If so they are eleven, neither of them is expected to beconsidered and mature in their communications. It's good to teach her boundaries and right from wrong, but it looks like you're reading the texts as if they are from adults. They are not they are kids playing at BF/GF.

EverythingEverywhere1234 · 12/12/2016 11:37

.. What a mad overreaction. You said yourself the messages could have just as easily been from another girl!! Why all this melodramatic talk of 'horror' and 'shock'? It's what kids do. They have a 'boyfriend' for the title more than anything. Your DH needs to rein himself in. It's not a big deal and I know it'll be important to you to keep communications open with your DD. Unfortunately overreactions like yours and your DHs will make that hard.
I think what I would be concerned about is my daughter playing with the poor boy's emotions for fun. It might not be the cruelest thing in the world, but it certainly is cruel.

The2ndSpartacus · 12/12/2016 11:48

If you "ban" boyfriends and act like this over normal 11 year old behaviour, she'll never be open and honest with you. She'll lie and hide things.

Also, if you check her phone, just tell her. She's still a child and it's a child protection issue, not a privacy issue. Let her have a diary or knock on her bedroom door and wait until she says you can enter for privacy.

As far as the conversation goes, around pranking and crying... Sounds like normal 11 year old levels of maturity there.

I think you need to really chill out. My mum was like you - controlling, trying to keep me "innocent", didn't care to understand how I felt and we really don't have a great relationship. I never went to her with a problem as a teenager.

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