They’re young and I try to be tolerant cause in the end he’s as much a part of society as anyone else. But he’s kind of a mean little shit that is friendly to my kid. I believe he has a diagnosis for something, I didn’t want to pry and ask his parents. He’s the kind of kid that sees red when he gets mad and can’t control it. I have no idea why my kid gravitates towards him but also glad he can make friends with people like this cause I truly believe if you don’t support kids like this they’ll be ostracized and fall into some pretty terrible online influences etc as they get older. But man it’s like stressful to hang out with him. He’s so antagonistic and mean spirited. Alas, such is parenting.
On one level there’s the dad goggles; my kid is cute, and his bad behaviours are mostly impish and kind of funny, while other people’s ugly kids are all evil fucked up gnomes.
On a more sane level, there’s the objective fact that if your kid does ever befriend someone with an ounce of good in them, you make them feel welcome. Put out biscuits, befriends their weird parents, hell, even learn their name. Because those are the people you need in your life, God help you.
I’m maybe a little unhinged about it. I became a parent a couple of years ahead of COVID, so it’s been weird, lonely, and rough trying to find other parents/kids who are a good match for us.