My Three Year Old Daughter Keeps Saying She Has a Girlfriend

I was going to marry my grandmother until I was 6... this is so normal and cute, really. Enjoy her innocence!

I would not be worried about her having a pretend date with a pretend girl. I think this is normal pretend behavior. I would tell her to have fun and be nice to the girl on their date! And change the subject if it makes you uncomfortable. She probably hears her older brother talking about his girlfriends and thinks she has to have a girlfriend too. A healthy imagination is key to smart and creative adults!

I wouldn't tell her anything. I would bet she has heard your older son say that. Little kids that age often play house, girlfriend/boyfriend, or even are getting marrid. Most likely she is just repeating what she has heard.

No need to worry.

Honestly at this age, I wouldn't make a deal of it at all! I might say "yeah, Mommy has lots of girlfriends too. We love to go out for girls night out! Being friends with girls is lots of fun!"

I used to say I was going to marry my brother at that age, and I didn't! So don't worry about it!

She's 3! either play along or change the subject. As she gets older she will probably stop saying that.

I wouldn't worry just yet. My niece did the same thing, and it turned out that my niece's stepmom would always tease her saying "Are you going on a date with your BFF tonight? Are you girls going over to PlayZone to have a good time?! " You know, things like that. At that age they don't really know what a date is...to them it's just an "outing". Also, many kids hear the word "playdate" or date for short. Maybe the other child is using this word/s and your daughter gets it from her. Don't worry just yet. I do understand, though. I'd be worried too if I hadn't learned this from my niece!

Don't we all have girlfriends? I have a lot of friends that are girls. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure they are just playing and if it turns out that later in life she really does in fact like girls, so what? Be glad that she's healthy and happy. Love is accepting others the way they are with no conditions. It sounds like you are stressing over nothing.

Keep a positive attitude maybe thats just the way that she labels her friends that happen to be girls or its her best girlfriend that she is trying to explain in her own way. Its a common thing for kids to use words that they already know as substitutes for advanced English phrasing. Life is to short to worry about a word enjoy her and her siblings.

A.,
I don't think you have anything to worry about. Kids have a very vivid imagination especialy at her age. She probably is using the term girlfriend as a friend that is a girl instead of a significant other. I know that this could be alarming but I think that if you make a big deal of it she will be more likey to continue saying it so that she can get a reaction out of you. If you are really uncomfortable I would simply redirect her wording. Hope this helps!
J. (mother of 4...ages 5, almost 4, and 16 month old twins)

First, bite your tongue and smile. It's probably just a thing that will disappear like a wisp of smoke in the air. I am a mental health counselor and I deal with children on a regular basis. I would show her people around town as you go about your business and say, "See, that is a man (boy) and a woman (girl). They are going out on a date! Where do you think they are going? Are they going to a restaurant?...etc". Show her socially what is going on around her and see if she "follows the crowd". Of course, homosexuals are valuable, wonderful people, too, but I would rather my child choose an easier path, if possible.

Leave it alone. Let her play. If you don't make a big deal of it, neither will she.
Deborah

I too wouldn't worry. Kids that age don't understand dating and relationships. At that age, many little kids still want to marry their parents. As the others have said, she most likely heard someone else saying it. I would simply tell her she is too young to date and move on without making a big deal about it.

I agree with April. It is something she heard. Make a big deal out of it or even correct her she might go on and on about it. It is very innocent.Dont worry about it.

Hi A.,
I would not worry! From the age of two until about six, kids are like little parrots. They mimic and repeat what they hear and see. I would find out if your son has been talking about wanting to have a girlfriend or go on a date. She is probably just repeating what she has heard. My three year old son loves to raid my closet for high heels and purses. He also takes on the catch phrases and facial expressions of his two older brothers (6&7). He will say things that he couldn't possibly have come up with on his own, and sure enough, it came from one of his brothers. Take Care.