They may still be playing with their Barbie dolls and Nerf guns, but kids in the city are venturing into the world of dating at ages as young as 11 and 12 — a far cry from the previous generation who hated their peers of the opposite sex, simply for not being ‘like them’. However, unlike adult rendezvous, these dates usually entail hanging out at home, with a movie and popcorn, under parents’ supervision, of course.

“It’s all very innocent and sweet. The other day, my 12-year-old son, asked me if he can go on a date with his friend... a girl. I was a little taken aback and asked him what exactly did he intend on doing. He said they’ll just watch TV and maybe listen to music, at our house,” shares Dinesh Arora, an entrepreneur in the city.

Anupa GS, who has two daughters, reveals that her older child’s dates are usually confined to school hours. “They never really ‘hang out’ after school. I think it is just during the breaks and a quick hi and bye in between classes... just a simple, non complicated relationship between two people. And even if they did have a date after school, it is always at home when the parents are around, or lunch at McDonald’s. But I have heard of crazy things happening with other kids,” shares Anupa, who runs a play school in South Bengaluru.

Madhavi Rongala, who has two daughters aged seven and nine, hopes that her children don’t start so early. “It’s quite shocking, especially for someone with daughters.

It’s an age when they are supposed to be carefree and not worry about boyfriends. I really hope this trend doesn’t grow and become acceptable with time,” says the lady, who has her own handloom sari store in Indiranagar.

City-based psychologist Swarnalatha Iyer weighs in, saying that while it may seem cute and harmless, things can get difficult if it’s taken too seriously. “At such a young age, kids should be spending time learning, expressing their creativity and playing. Pouring all their energy into a relationship will take away from their childhood and skew their understanding of romantic relationships, which will affect their future. As long as the parents have a talk with them about what it means and tell them what’s right and wrong, it’s perfectly fine,” she concludes.