Dear BeingGirl Experts,

I'm 13 years old and in eighth grade, and I have talked to my mom plenty of times about letting me have a boyfriend, but she thinks I'm too young. But my brother had his first girlfriend when he was 12. I talk to a lot of guys on the phone. She doesn't care about that, but now she says they are calling too much to be friends, and we really are just friends. What should I do, or how can I get her to let me have a boyfriend?

Becca

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Dear Becca,

Having the same understanding of what it means to have a boyfriend at your age is important for you and your mom. Does it mean going out privately? Does it mean hanging out at school? Does it mean talking exclusively on the phone?

Perhaps it would be smart for you and mom to set aside some private time to talk about this. Ask your mom to set aside some private time for the two of you. If you cannot do this face-to-face, why not leave her a note or send her an email? It is really important to set up some kind of way to communicate with your mom. Maybe this is what your first "girl chat" should be about.

Hope this is helpful,

Your BeingGirl Experts