When your friend's younger child keeps hitting your older child

[chummymummy7]

Our son (10) plays regularly with school friends who have a younger (5) sibling. Recently, the little one has been hitting and even scratching our son at play dates. I have observed, and my son isn't provoking this as far as I can see - though he does respond by pushing her away.

The other parent reacts by defending the younger one (saying she is smaller and is in her own home) and telling my son that he shouldn't rise to it or respond. We've had a few other issues with the little girl - for instance she purposefully snatched and broke my other child's treasured toy. My child was devastated. Again, the sibling was not told off and my child was told to understand that the girl is younger and this is just what she does.

Any advice please?

Don't let your son go back there. I would also tell the parents exactly why if they ask.

Don't allow your son there.

I'd not take your son there for play dates anymore and when the other parents ask why id tell them because their daughter is a brat.

Harsh but the truth sometimes hurts :) x

Don’t go

We've had the same issue, little brother pinching, kicking grabbing privates. Parent just brushes it off because he is so small and mine are 'big enough to take it'
Sadly our only option was to distance ourselves which is a shame as the older kid was lovely and bore the brunt of the little brothers actions.