Teen sexuality & sleepovers

Most of Lizzy's friends at this point are either gay or bi. This is something I've known for awhile now and the kids have become pretty open with me about. Recently her two best male friends have both had their first boy friends. Her very best friend J decided to tell his dad. He lives with his dad and grandfather and his mom lives in another state so he and his dad are pretty close. It went pretty well as these things go. His dad's initial reaction was that he's still the same person and that he loves him no matter what. After thinking about it for a day he decided maybe he is confused and needs counseling and by the way Jimmy can't sleep over anymore because he's probably the one putting these ideas in your head. Now I know J does like Jimmy and they did date at one point and probably will again. I also know J had been checking out boys at the mall with Lizzy long before he met Jimmy.



Lizzy and her friends remind me of a big pile of puppies. They are just all over each other all the time. They hug and punch and cuddle and generally hang all over each other all the time. I do remember being like that as a kid with my gang. It was so much fun then. That innocent intimacy that is so natural to teens. Once upon a time I was telling Liz she couldn't date until she was sixteen and I would never have dreamt of letting a boy sleep over. Now I've reached a point that I know Liz is going to do what she wants and more importantly NOT do what she doesn't want to. She's not afraid to ask for help if she needs it. Also her female friends are just as likely to make a move on her as her male friends. So I just let it go and trust her. It's harder than it sounds and she calls me on it all the time. It's easy to say yes, I trust her judgment and much harder to really TRUST her. To put that feeling of trust into trusting actions. Practice, practice, practice.