Q: My 11 years old son studies in class VII. After he returns from school we generally share the events of the day with each other. Recently he told me that two boys in his class fought with each other over a girl, as both of them liked her. Later he said that he also likes a girl. Though I was surprised, I didn't let my shock be seen by him, as I wanted him to feel free with me. Though he shared this with me but had a lot of hesitation. How should I deal with him? What should I say him so that he doesn't get diverted with such things as he is too young for this? In general he is a well-behaved boy, in fact even his teachers appreciate his behaviour in particular.

A:I think you are dealing with the situation very well, indeed. He is showing some traits that we associate with teenagers, but many of them do start earlier. There is nothing wrong in his liking a girl. It is good that he can talk to his parents about it. You should give him some idea of the gradual changes in his body, what to expect and so on. You could also indicate that everybody has a favourite class fellow or even a favourite teacher. These are all part of growing up. You should not express strong disapproval. Use humour and related stories to explain. Talk about yourself when you were young and some of the relationship problems you handled.