My son (6) has a friend from his class who lives nearby and this friend knocks on our door at all hours to ask if son is coming out to play. My son is rarely home (often at his dad's, older sister's or at football practice). On the rare occasions he plays out with this boy, he comes home complaining the boy has been mean to him.
I saw this first hand over the weekend. The boy knocked on so I said he could play in our garden as my son was already out there playing football with another friend.
The boy from school is really lacking in manners, offered him a drink and a little snack and he just snatched them off me, no 'thank you' or 'yes please'. Nothing.
Then when my back was turned for a minute, he started pushing my son around and kicked him in stomach (totally out of the blue, no argument or anything had happened). My son hit back (he does karate and boxing) in self-defence and told the boy to think twice before trying to hurt him again.. The other boy seem taken aback and went into a huff. I told him my son was only defending himself and that that's how he's being brought up.
Later on they were playing inside the house, the boy tipped my son's toys all over the floor and refused when I politely asked him to help tidy them up before going home.
He then opened my pantry door and tried to push my son inside. Again my son stood up to him and didn't get pushed around.
It was such a stressful day with them.
I know this boy has been in quite a lot of trouble at school for bullying last year, and I've overheard his mum talking to another mum about an anger management course he's waiting to attend.
Whatever his issues are or whatever his homelife situation is, I just find him rude and don't really like my son playing with him.
Even when knocking on our front door, it's never just a normal knock, it's always body slams, kicking the door and shouting my son's name. Also shouts through letterbox.
My son has a love/hate relationship with him. Says the boy has a 'poorly mind' (so perhaps knows more than I do about the background). But I just prefer my son to be with nice polite, respectful friend. I try to keep him as busy as possible with all his activities and nice friends but it's hard.
Any other mums have situations like this?