He tells me regularly that she's so nice and kind to everyone, how beautiful she is, how pretty her hair is, and this, that and the other. Now he's asking me what he should say to her, and if he should tell her he loves her.
I told him I think it's a bad idea to say that to her because she might not understand, and that he should just appreciate being friends with her and talk to her about things they have in common.
I didn't tell him that I think that he shouldn't tell her because
- she might tell him she doesn't like him and that could crush him.
- she could turn around and tell other people and suddenly he becomes a target for bullying.
- 7 years of age is too young to be getting involved in that kind of stuff.
I think I should take as much of a hands-off approach to his personal and relational development as I can. I don't mean to say I want him to figure it out all on his own, but I don't want to poison his innocence or experiences with my far more experienced, but biased views.
Is this the right way to deal with this? Should I handle it differently? Should I tell him the cold hard facts? Should I highlight the risks? What is the best way to handle this without negatively influencing him?