I have had a friend since childhood, but in the last few years things have become more difficult. This is pretty much since having kids. One of the problems is the vastly differing Parenting styles. My DH & I are pretty relaxed about most things, but very up on fairness & equality. If I can't give it to all I won't give it. My Friend's OH is very strict on manners & somethings, but is a bit too happy to tell other peoples kids off, where as my friend is very relaxed and lets her kids (in her own words) get away with things as they don't listen to her. This was fine when our kids were young. We all just accepted our differing styles to a certain extent. the problem is now my DD is 7 she keeps getting upset at what she sees as unfairness. Just little things really,eg. She'll give her dd(5) the only chocolate cake and my dd gets upset because she would have liked it, my dd not being allowed to play with certain 'favourite' toys at their house, but being made to share all her toys when at ours. Now my dd has taken a (possibly irrational) dislike to their ds(3). He is very annoying, disruptive and disobedient (won't do a thing my friend tells him to or not to), but my dd seems to be preempting his behaviour and just getting cross with him before he's even done anything wrong. I've tried speaking to her, but she just gets upset that he's 'allowed' to be naughty. At the moment my relationship with my friend is suffering because I know I'm only meeting up with her when we both don't have our kids, but that's not very often as her OH works away alot.
Anyone else had this? What did you do? Did it work?
TIA