Flash Forward: My Daughters and Dating
Before you cry, “I thought your girls were just babies!” let me explain. I have had a vision of the future. The future with two teenage girls who will be beautiful, awkward, and tentative in courting male attention. It warms me heart and it scares the heck out of me.
Sophia was a mere four months old when she became smitten with an older family friend who upon meeting her, took her chubby little hand and bestowed upon it chivalrous kiss. It probably didn’t hurt that he was darn good looking with a smile as wide as my hips. We got a good laugh out of that incident, but became uneasy when she started craning her neck around like an owl to watch waiters and busboys every time we went into a restaurant. Ha-ha she’s going to be so boy crazy we joked. But then her obsession with food service workers was eventually trumped by free crayons. Phew!
Fast forward to her turning two years old. I had my first parent-teacher conference with one of Sophia’s daycare teachers. I felt so grown up being “the parent” and listening to all the glowing things she had to say about how advanced my daughter is, how enthusiastic, and how social. How very social. She knows all the kids names, but most especially she knows Jacob. “He’s her favorite,” said the young teacher. One morning when I was dropping her off at daycare a little boy came up to her, handed her a ball and walked away. This was the said favorite, Jacob.
Evidently, Match.com has nothing on daycare. It’s the hot spot for meeting the ’fellas. Every time my baby Marissa and I go to pick up Sophia from daycare, guess who gets swarmed by a group of at least three curious little boys? Nope, not Sophia. It’s Marissa, the younger woman that captivates them. They just stand around and peer into her car seat carrier like men at a club watching women on the dance floor. Mesmerized. Did I mention that I’m scared?
Just this week, since spring weather has finally come, we were out at the park. Of course, here in the Midwest people flock to any open air they can once it hits 50 degrees. So, the park is a hotbed of toddler activity most any time of the day. I have captured in this second picture my little playground freshman Sophia being hit on by a playground “senior” – four-year-old Charlie – at the swing set. Notice her demure, but amused expression. I’m sighing inside just imagining that when she’s older this will be the same sweet expression on her face when the boy who makes her laugh in algebra class playfully teases her.
As moms we are always thinking of our kids’ futures. Whether it’s envisioning your child falling off the monkey bars two seconds from now or taking pictures as they leave for prom, we are always anxious to prevent disaster and steward happiness.
What is it that you are anxious or excited about in your child’s future?
Kristi is a crazed mom of two girls – a smarty pants toddler and a grinning baby – only 18 months apart. Crash-coursing it through motherhood, she shares her “cheat sheet” of helpful discoveries, and a few emotional exploits, with newbie moms on her blog Mommy Crib Notes.
