Annie (AKA Hey Terra!) has been around long enough to have experienced a lot of what Life can dish out. But, it hasn’t been so long that she's forgotten what it's like to be your age. Check out some of the thousands of email questions teens from around the world have sent to Terra. You may learn something useful from her answers:
Parents:
“I'm scared to tell my mom I've got my first boyfriend.”
Hey Terra,
"Hey Terra,
I'm turning 13 soon. Me and my really close guy friend are now boyfriend and girlfriend (as of yesterday). How do I tell my mom I have a boyfriend without her getting all "Sweetie, I think your too young" or "AWWWWWWWW! YOU'RE SO GROWN UP!"
I really need help. When and how should I tell her.
Sorta confused and nervous
Dear Sorta confused and nervous,
Congratulations on having your first boyfriend! You should tell your mom, of course. As for what she'll say when she hears the news... There's no way to know. She's going to react in her own unique way and there's no special set of words you can use to get her to say whatever it is you'd like her to say.
My best advice is to tell her the truth. She probably knows your guy friend so she probably won't be too surprised. If she has a problem with your being too young for a boyfriend, then you'll have to deal with that. But honesty is the best thing when dealing with parents. You want her to trust you and if you're not honest about what you're doing, then you're going to be sneaking around and hiding stuff. Definitely NOT a good idea!
So tell her and LISTEN to what she has to say about it.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
In friendship,
Terra
Need some advice? Write to Terra.
She'll give you a straight answer you can trust without any lectures.