DS is having a tenth birthday party in the next few weeks and we are talking about who he would like to invite. To note my son is mixed race in an overwhelmingly white community.
He struggles socially at school but has a small group of friends in his class and he has friends outside school. My problem is one of his "friends" doesn't seem to like him very much - no invites to birthday parties, no contact at all outside school, started back at school last week and said he didn't want to play with him, stories I hear from school are him not being kind to DS (inc saying he couldn't play because he was brown) but yet DS persists in calling him a friend. I have gently tried to dissuade DS from inviting him but DS got a bit upset and said "but he is my friend". We have had a few parties in the past and this "friend" has never come. I am embarrassed for DS that he is going to invite him again but I don't know how to talk to him about this without hurting his feelings or making it into a huge issue. I don't want to forbid DS from inviting him but that is what my gut is telling me to do!
Any advice?