My 6-year-old has a boyfriend and yes I mean that in the traditional sense of the word. That said, I do recognize other people might find my kindergartner’s relationship status uncomfortable, or even inappropriate, but in my view, it is that very perspective that makes it weird at all.

Perhaps I should explain what this “relationship” actually looks like. For instance, on the day we took this picture, as I busied about the house getting things ready for dinner with our friends, my 6-year-old daughter Daphne was busy with her own preparations. She ran in and out of my bedroom with various dresses and hair bows. She brushed her soft blonde hair until it shone (or became shockingly full of static, but what’s the difference when you’re 6?), and even asked to borrow my lipstick (that was a hard no). She only paused her primping long enough to ask when her boyfriend, Cristiano, was expected to arrive.

Once our friends came, the kids went off to play, separating themselves by gender as they often do. It was only later when Cristiano was tired and wanted to play on his mom’s phone while the adults talked, that my children noticed his disappearance, and Daphne came to join him on the couch. It was an adorable moment. She perched beside him, watching as he conquered an alphabet game. He glanced up shyly from time to time to see if she was still interested. I snapped a photo.