It’s important first to distinguish between regular impulsive pre-schooler behaviour and bullying, but if you want to discourage a potentially harmful friendship, here’s what you can do
If you feel a child could be a bad influence on your child, you may limit the opportunities for them to spend time together. Photo: Getty
Most parents take a keen interest in the friendships that their own children develop. When those friendships seem happy, nurturing and fun it is a real comfort for parents. For example, your child is, no doubt, happier when they have friends. They are engaged, occupied, often happily distracted for hours during playdates, or are gone for hours off playing and then when older, hanging out for hours.
When those friendships don’t work well, however, they are often a source of stress for the child and, by default, for their parent. Recently I got asked on Instagram about how a mum should navigate a situation where her three-year-old has befriended a potential bully.
