Dear Christine,
MY GIRL CHILD, who is 11, has become friendly with someone at school who seems to know a lot about things I don’t feel children should be interested in so deeply.
I am not against the children being aware of the “facts of life” but this girl, who is always calling my daughter, seems to wallow in her knowledge – which I believe comes from some level of experience.
Because I am a bit suspicious from my daughter’s response on the telephone, I decided to listen in on the other line. Boy, was I taken back by what I heard.
My child was not giving any input on the details, but this girl was telling her about sex and other adult things.
I now make it my business to stop my daugher from talking on the phone with her.
But I can’t do much about when they are together at school time, so I am looking at moving her from there to another school and away from her “friend”.
Christine, is this the right thing to do?– J.B.
Dear J.B.,
Try speaking to her teacher(s) who perhaps might then communicate with the other girl’s parents or guardians.
Then let you child know that her friend likes to talk about things you don’t approve of and encourage her to make friends with other children.
I can appreciate your concern about your child, but I am also worried about her friend with all this adult conversation.
From where is she learning all these things?
I am not a prude and am all in favour of children being told about “the facts of life”, but there is a right way and a wrong way and the latter causes concern and can be damaging.– CHRISTINE
