My son is 13 and has always been a good, sensible kid. From the minute he started school he kept his head down, did his work, was always very hard to lead, had few friends but didn't seem to mind iyswim? he was a proper teachers pet.
Anyway our choices for secondary school were limited between our local school which was a complete no no as all the kids down our street where going there and they already used to give him a hard time if they saw him and I often saw the state of the kids walking home from the school, the vast, VAST majority looked like thugs, hoods up, cigerettes sticking out of mouths, tracksuit bottoms instead of the uniform etc
But the other school was almost as bad, in special measures, bad exam results, bad reputation but once we had a look around, I certainly felt it had a much better atmosphere than the other one and the kids didn't seem as feral so he went there.
Anyway things have been good, he's now 13 and is doing well at the school. Achieving all of his expectations, in all top sets and no bullying or anything.
However we had an open night last week and I was told that DS is starting to slip. He has begun chattering to other kids rather than doing his work, on occasion he has joined in with disrupting the class (very unlike him) and has started not completing homework.
A couple of weeks ago he went out into town with a few of the lads from school and they were apparantly chased by security out of our main shopping centre. I asked why and he said they were just "hanging around" and one of the lads mouthed off to the security guard when he told them to move. He seemed to find it funny though and that is so not like him
Last Saturday he went to a football match with his mates and ended up right in the heart of a 'football hooligan style brawl', I know because my uncle was at the match and said DS and friends were hurling abuse at away fans who had already began to riot with home fans.
This morning he told me he was off into town with mates again. I said no. I just don't want my son going down this slippery slope, not when he's been doing so well and has been such a good kid all these years. I know they change as teens but I just can't "let him go" when I can see the path he is being lead down.
He told me his mate is having a birthday party next Friday night at his house. The kid in question has been excluded from school for a week and his parents didn't think it was a big deal.
I have said no.
He is now slamming doors, crying, screaming that I am ruining his life, trying to stop him having friends, treating him like a baby etc.
Am I being too over-protective?