Hi Anita,

I think forbidding DS from seeing the BFF is a little over the top, as well as punishing the innocent.

What I CAN do is tell the parents “DS is being confirmed this year so please don’t talk JW stuff around him as I don’t want to confuse him.” This will do two things: My son is now a JW-free Zone, AND I’d be obliquely communicating that their religion is Bulls!@#. I don’t THINK they talk about religion around him, but I’m SURE the BFF has complained/explained the No Holiday thing to him.

Meanwhile, my DS is a Special Needs child (dyslexia) going into HS. Our HS is very competitive and he will still have tons of homework. So between school, homework, tutoring, Boy Scouts, Confirmation class, chess tournaments (he has a very high rating), and his chess coach, this kid will have little time for much else. During the summer now he has Sailing every weekday and Chess on the weekends and is gone all day. Then during the weekends during the school year he’d either be camping or doing tournaments. Meanwhile, his BFF will still be in Middle School so that’s a separation right there.

I can also encourage him to go with his OTHER friend to this OTHER church that I know has a VERY strong Youth Group. It’s like a social club (food! video games! foos ball!) and half the town is there if he wants to do that.