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AIBU?

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Wrong to exclude my SEN child ?

205 replies

Maria1979 · 02/06/2024 17:29

I've got a son who's 14 y old on the autism spectrum + very immature. He loves to play w younger children but needs to be told off sometimes to be careful: he's not trying to intentionally hurt someone but fooling around on the beach w younger children two of my friend's younger children (who are my younger son's friends) later on told my friend's husband that he had been rough. Now he has told my friend that my soon can't be around them anymore and she obeys. The thing is this is my BF and we see each other a lot w our children. My son has promised to never play wildly again (this was at a beach outing), nobody got really hurt but I do realise that we should have played closer attention w DH but since noone went in to the water and they were running around on the beach we "relaxed" and talked w the adults.
I'm torn between understanding her husband for wanting to protect his children (he wasn't present) and btw feeling his reaction is exaggerated. Couldnt he just say that if DS is to be present we all need to pay closer attention since he's "bigger" but not more mature than the other children present ? I'm hurt that my friend just choose to go on her husband's line cause I don't think she realises that this will mean the end of us getting together. My older son is highly dependant on me and does not have a social life on his own so I have to bring him everywhere. He's 14, my younger 10 and her children are 7 and 10...

OP posts:
OhHelloMiss · 02/06/2024 17:38

I'm thinking this has probably been building for some time and not the first 'rough play' he has seen or heard about

Someone got hurt. It needs nipping in the bud and as your son will only grow bigger, it does sound like it's run it's course

Can't you see your friend child free?

Whinge · 02/06/2024 17:36

nobody got really hurt

So someone got hurt, if so what happend?

It sounds like emotions are running high, and while it seems like an extreme reaction we have no idea of the history. It doesn't sound like this is an isolated incident, and if other measures haven't prevented injuries, he may think this is the only way to stop the children from being hurt.

MrMotivatorsLeotard · 02/06/2024 17:35

I think you have to respect that the parents have set a boundary that they feel is necessary to keep their children safe and feeling safe.

You’ve said that he sometimes needs to be told to be more careful and also said that you didn’t supervise things as closely as you should have done- I can see why the dad has chosen to draw this line in the sand and perhaps this isn’t the first time that this has happened.

That said, I completely understand why you feel crushed by the decision.

duchessofsilk · 02/06/2024 17:35

Depends on what happened. If someone got hurt then yes, you are remiss not to be watching him more closely. Of course he didnt mean to hurt anyone but that doesnt stop an injury being painful and upsetting. Maybe the younger kids dont want to see him after this? so many variables at play here that makes it hard to ascertain if its reasonable or not.

Octavia64 · 02/06/2024 17:31

For me it would depend on what happened.

You say nobody got really hurt so presumably somebody did get hurt?