When Personalities Collide

Do you have the same friends as your children?


I mean are the children of your friends also friends with your children?  Or is your fun dampened by kiddos that merely tolerate each other?  Or is the fun of the children dampened by the bare toleration of the parents?

Bare toleration of parents can be worked with by doing park dates--nobody has to play host or guest.  For that matter the parents can sit on opposite ends of the park if necessary.  I suppose it could also be worked with by having group gatherings--at the park, at a home, on a field trip.

Mere toleration by the kids can be worked with by meeting for coffee sans kiddos.  Or reduce it to online interaction only.

It seems so simply when typed out--yet I've been mulling over this concept for two or three years; maybe more.  How to have a satisfying friendship with somebody when all parties aren't exactly friendly.  Another concept I've mulled over for years is how to handle lop-sided friendships--where Friend A holds time with Friend B at a higher priority than Friend B values time with Friend A.  It's simply part of life, but how do you go about it without injuring the feelings of the other friend (or allowing your own to be injured)?


Just some thoughts to ponder, with a fussy nurseling, when I have a stack of work to do for two organizations and my practice.  *lol*