No one ever wants to hear that their kid is a bad influence, but if the child in question has been continually acting out, it might be time to broach the subject with their parents, even if it's an uncomfortable conversation.
"If you're concerned about safety, bullying, or inappropriate behavior like lying or stealing, you should let their parents know," Sharma tells POPSUGAR.
And when it comes to picking up the phone or chatting in person, there are a few ways to make the conversation go smoother.
"Focus on behavior, not on the whole child," says Sharma. "Focus on 'feeling' statements, yours as a parent or what you've heard from your child. And don't throw any blame around. Reactions from other adults are very different depending on if they experience blame versus if they hear 'feeling' statements."
At the end of the day, who your kid associates with is 100 percent up to you as a parent. So if a child's actions are seriously that off-putting, make the executive decision to stop playing with them altogether.
"If a parent isn't fond of a certain child or doesn't want their child to model concerning behavior, then parents are responsible to play or not play with those children," says Sharma.
