Yo,
Most experts and child psychologists point to around 5–7 years old as when many children experience their first crush at 7 years old. This often aligns with starting kindergarten or elementary school, where kids interact more with peers outside their family.
Unfocussed Assessments…
Personally, I always assumed my son would skip that developmental milestone entirely and go straight to scouting reports and combine stats.
He’s seven, and what my wife and I lovingly call: a sports kid.
He typically doesn’t have much time for little girls unless they are fast or good at sports.
But the other day at his Little League game, something… shifted.
Before warmups, he spotted a little girl he’s known since he was two. Her brother plays on his team, so she’s always around — usually just another kid in the bleachers.
Not this time.
She had just come from a dance recital.
• Hair done.
• Makeup.
• Fake lashes.
• The whole nine yards.
• She looked like she had a 7 p.m. call time on Broadway.
She smiled at him and said hi.
He froze…
Eventually he gave a shy half wave and immediately sprinted away to hang with his boys.
On a side note… My wife just gave birth, and things have been… a lot.
The next day she had to go to a doctor appointment, so neither of us could drive our son to practice. She called the little girl’s mom to see if she could take him.
When my son heard who he’d be riding with, he perked up immediately.
“Is she going to practice too?” he asked.
My wife said yes.
He paused, thinking deeply — the way only a seven year old philosopher can.
Then he asked:
“Is she going to look all weird again?”
Quackenbush