Is it weird for my 13 yo kid to be neighborhood friends with 15 yo kids?

[Anonymous]

My DS is an avid skateboarder. Can do tricks, etc. Especially good at it. Good kid, normal 8th grader. He's been hanging out with a group of mixed aged kids who have gotten closer since Covid started. Two are in 10th grade. I've met both boys and they don't give off the stoner vibe I normally associate with the biker/skater crowd. They seem nice and a little nerdy but I've only met them once. Haven't met the parents. Both DH and I are a little weirded out that he is friends with kids two years older. I remember being friends with kids a year younger than me in HS and a year older than me, but 8h grade and 10th grade seem pretty far apart. At the same time, since there are no sleepovers, no parties, no hanging out at each others' houses right now, only skating around the neighborhood, I'm not sure what I'm fearful of. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I think you're the weirdo. He is friends with a group of mixed-age kids who share a hobby. What's remotely strange about that?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm just wondering if the older kids can be a bad influence on him and how.

[Anonymous]

It's not weird but I would keep a close eye on it. Those kids will be experimenting with smoking, drugs and sex before your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not weird but I would keep a close eye on it. Those kids will be experimenting with smoking, drugs and sex before your kid.

+1 sounds like a great friendship, but I would keep a close eye.

[Anonymous]

Sounds awesome.
I did community and youth theater while growing up, and was friends with older and younger kids. They are still some of my closest friendships.

[Anonymous]

Lots of kids have mixed age friends. I played varsity soccer and had friends of all ages. I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Anonymous]

It's not weird, but I agree that you'll have to keep an eye on them.

[Anonymous]

My DD is almost 15 and her best friend is 13.5. Friends since small.

[Anonymous]

Nope. FWIW, I am the parent of a skater (now in college). Skateboard culture is pretty darn nurturing and supportive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is an avid skateboarder. Can do tricks, etc. Especially good at it. Good kid, normal 8th grader. He's been hanging out with a group of mixed aged kids who have gotten closer since Covid started. Two are in 10th grade. I've met both boys and they don't give off the stoner vibe I normally associate with the biker/skater crowd. They seem nice and a little nerdy but I've only met them once. Haven't met the parents. Both DH and I are a little weirded out that he is friends with kids two years older. I remember being friends with kids a year younger than me in HS and a year older than me, but 8h grade and 10th grade seem pretty far apart. At the same time, since there are no sleepovers, no parties, no hanging out at each others' houses right now, only skating around the neighborhood, I'm not sure what I'm fearful of. Thoughts?

A lot has changed since you were in high school, OP. People are more complex than the characters in Clueless.

[Anonymous]

Do your kids have siblings? It isn't all that odd for kids 2 years apart to have a somewhat fluid but also somewhat common group of friends in their teens

[Anonymous]

Based off interests no. With people holding back their kids, that age difference is normal.

[Anonymous]

Lol in my neighborhood group of friends the 15 year olds were the straight shooters and the freakin 12 year old was a druggy. We're still all friend today and he's still a screw up

[Anonymous]

My 13 year old is hanging out with a 10 year old to skateboard. Because there is nobody else. (COVID) And he likes being seen as an “expert”.

Will the friendship survive after COVID? Or be more than skateboarding? Probably not. But my son means no harm.