Friendly but Insensitive Neighbor

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Dear Dr. Roberta,
My next door neighbor is a terrible tease. My husband does not want to criticize him but I think he is harming our sons. What can I do when he approaches one son and pretends to capture his nose, and the other son he tells he is going to kidnap him?

Neighbor in New Hampshire

Dear Neighbor,

Talk to your sons about their neighbor. Help them learn to tolerate him and to speak to him. Teach them to say, “Please stop. You scare me when you talk like that.” When the neighbor is not around talk to your sons again about him to help them process all that has happened. Your sons will become strong and your neighbor might behave once they let him know that they don’t think he’s amusing.

– Dr. Roberta

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