DEAR ABBY: Please help me. I need to know if I should approach another mother about why my 10-year-old son was not invited to her son's birthday party.
We have lived in our close-knit neighborhood for three years. All of the other children on our street were invited, and they told my son all about it at school the next day. Now he feels left out and sad. Until now, he thought he was good friends with the birthday boy.
I know this sort of thing happens, but for a mother to organize a party and knowingly exclude one child doesn't seem right. How should I handle it, Abby? -- SMALL-TOWN MOM IN IOWA
DEAR MOM: By all means ask the mother what happened. Since your son was the only child not invited to the party, shame on her for abetting that kind of exclusion.
However, before approaching the mother, invite the neighborhood children to your home and observe how they interact. There may be a reason your child was not welcome. If he's having relationship or behavior problems, now is the time to give him the social skills he will need for the rest of his life.