Anonymous wrote:Lots of kids get their first kiss around this age - 6th or 7th grade. Just a kiss. One kiss. The lead- up to it can be a very long period. Perhaps most of the school year. The girl, especially, might say he is her boyfriend. Before and after. .

My son had his first kiss in 7th and a bunch of his kids in his mixed gender friend group did around this time too. This is 13 for many kids. Pretty typical for the "early" kids to be dabbling by then.

I'm in a place where middle school starts in 6th.

Lots of "dating" in 6th but it was very low stakes. Couples would often barely speak. Group hanging out at most. A couple of couples in the grade who "dated" for a couple of months but often it only lasted a week or two. Kind of playing house at this point.

7th/8th a lot less dating. I think at that point the stakes are higher and they know it means something more to date so it happens a lot less. But yes, some of them are dating at this age and having physical contact for sure.

There are boys in any middle school who are ahead of the puberty curve and in a place to date. Not a lot but there are some.

Anonymous wrote:First kisses are more happening in high school.

Kids in my kid's 7th grade play truth or dare and spin the bottle. So many kisses. And bra showing. But still: no dating.

First kisses are more happening in high school.

My son says none of the kids in his class are dating or are couples. But I know that a lot of girls have very obvious crushes. They're way ahead of the boys.

Very few. My youngest (boy) is in 8th. I’ve heard of maybe one “couple “ last year. When my older kids (girls) were in 7th there weren’t any.

DD is in 7th grade and nobody in her circle is dating.

Lots of kids get their first kiss around this age - 6th or 7th grade. Just a kiss. One kiss. The lead- up to it can be a very long period. Perhaps most of the school year. The girl, especially, might say he is her boyfriend. Before and after. .

My child is in 7th … don’t know of any dating couples (crushes for sure…).

Not many at all

I knew of some couples even in 6th grade but they were mostly just texting each other.

In my experience, only a handful, but it is definitely not limited to girls.

But as you say, the actual relationship is limited to some texting, and even moreso, consists of discussion of said "relationship" by the larger friend group(s).

Nothing new.

By 11th grade or so, they'll just be hooking up and having casual sex and FWBs. It's how they've been conditioned to think about relationships by the TikTok, other social media and the shows they consume like Euphoria.

Anonymous wrote:It seems all the girls in seventh grade want to start dating. I know very few boys who are at that stage. How many seventh grade couples do you know of? I know this basically means they’re just calling themselves boyfriend and girlfriend, and they only communicate over text and there are no real dates or physical contact. But, I find it hard to believe many seventh grade boys are really even interested in that level of “dating.” The girls seem way ahead of the boys in this regard.

Don't be so sure about that and talk to your daughter if she starts dating

It seems all the girls in seventh grade want to start dating. I know very few boys who are at that stage. How many seventh grade couples do you know of? I know this basically means they’re just calling themselves boyfriend and girlfriend, and they only communicate over text and there are no real dates or physical contact. But, I find it hard to believe many seventh grade boys are really even interested in that level of “dating.” The girls seem way ahead of the boys in this regard.