Some girls prefer boys, and others prefer girls. Most children will socialize with children of both sexes. It is important that you talk with your daughter about her physical development and the implications of this development. Raising the subjects of sex, pregnancy, birth control and AIDS should be a priority. While she is young, your concerns are legitimate and it's not too early to begin communicating with her about these issues.

Give her information she may be lacking. Children like to give the impression they know it all, but they rarely do. Even if they have sex education in school, there is nothing like hearing it from mom or dad. State clearly what your point of view is while allowing room for questions and discussion. Children need to hear clearly from their parents what their values and limits are. Both values and limits give a feeling of security to children of all ages, including teenagers.

Reading a book about adolescence may help you better understand what to expect, and how to deal with some of the issues that may come up over the course of the next couple years. Remember, that although teenagers get a lot of bad press, most of them are really neat kids who get along well in school and with their families and peers. It sounds like your daughter falls into that category and with such a caring mom hopefully it will stay that way.

Good luck,

Naomi Baum, PhD