Now I Ain't Sayin She A Gold Digger

Daughter turned 10 about two weeks ago. As previously noted, I learned things about 4th graders that I could never have imagined during her slumber party. Since then, problems have exacerbated.

On the Tuesday following the slumber party, Daughter came home with a birthday present from a boy in her class. It was a silver bracelet with a heart charm. I nearly had a heart attack.

Yesterday, Boyfriend met Daughter at the bus-stop. She stepped off holding a jewelry box and a card. We were told the jewelry box was from Jared's. It wasn't from Jared's, it was obviously from Wal-Mart. Boy 2 is a salesman who understands the importance of packaging. The box contained a gold necklace, with three little crystals set in a heart. The card read: "I followed the path of my heart." Open card. "It led me to you." There was a personalized note explaining to Daughter that Boy 2 really liked her, and hoped she liked the necklace. Again, near heart attack for mom.

So, the question became, how to handle the elevating Boy Situation? Are there crush-wars being had over Daughter? Is Daughter inviting these gifts? Is she letting all the boys think she might like them in order to get bling? Are there two mothers who just had their Mother's Day gifts stolen?

Boyfriend and I sat Daughter down and tried to explain the impression this might give. She swears she doesn't "like" Boy 2, but she didn't throw the necklace in his face. We explained that Boy 2 obviously gave the necklace in hopes that she will start to like him back. Same with Boy 1 and his stupid bracelet. Turns out she kinda likes Boy 1. Remains that she is TEN years old. I was ready to shave her head.

Boyfriend came up with advice that Daughter chose to follow. She wrote a letter to Boy 2: "Thank you for the necklace, that was very nice of you. But I want to make sure you know that I only think of you as a friend. If you want the necklace back, I'll understand."

How do I approach this - an event which has already proven itself repeatable? There are only two weeks left in her school year, and next year, it's a new school. A huge relief, but a temporary answer. How do I stop this all-too-soon insanity?