What’s Up Crushless,

LOL! I get A LOT of emails from kids whose parents think they’re too young for crushes, and your mom is the EXACT opposite! Either way, parents getting involved in crushes is definitely a thing!

My guess is that it often has to do with their feelings about crushes when they were young. If, like your mom, they’re all curious and giggly and want to know everything about your crush, then they probably have gooey, warm feelings about crushes and want the same thing for you.

If they’re all strict about not getting involved in crushes until you’re older, they might not have had the best experiences OR maybe they saw friends or family members have not-so-great experiences.

Both perspectives have their points. Crushes CAN be super fun and they can also be super painful. Usually, kids are all giddy and giggly and love talking about crushes with their friends, but probably not so much with parents.

In your case, I think you need to come clean with your mom and tell her you’re actually not interested in crushes. Even if she’s disappointed because SHE was having fun thinking you were, she’s not going to be disappointed in YOU. If she’s in the giggly, crushes-are-fun camp, she’s going to want you to experience a real crush you’re super into, not something you’re going along with half-heartedly to make her happy.

The main thing is to communicate, even if—in all honesty—there’s really not much to talk about.

Hey readers, do you like telling other people about your crushes? Or, do you like keeping it to yourself? Tell us in the comments below!