Sleep Over

My son has had the same best friend since second grade.  They are now in sixth grade. 

Unluckily the friend hit puberty a little early and has turned into a raging teenager.  That’s all fine and well.  He’s a sweet kid and I don’t have to put up with the lip.  It had never occurred to me it would be a problem for my son.

The kid is driving my son nuts!  He’s trying to pressure him into getting heelies and certain Playstation games, and is all over the map emotionally, and wants to spend all weekend long with my son on a regular basis.

This is where the drama comes in.  Last weekend my son asked to have the friend stay over, a common occurrence, then asked that we fabricate a reason to send him home early the next day.  In the past we’ve let them have all weekend long so now the friend wants to know why he can’t simply stay.

I told my son I would simply tell him it was time to go home and that would be that.  As the time approached I realized that wouldn’t be that.  The boys are growing up.  The way I treat my son’s friends has to adjust too.  Doesn’t it?

Maybe not.  I ended up telling the friend it was time to go, and packing him off.  He went without a question.

Alice