Your Children's Friends

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When it comes to friends we don't have much say in who are children are friends are inless it's an extreme case in which you make your child change schools/move/or anything else extreme because it was dangerous/inappropriate behavior getting out of control/etc However, we can limit how much they see them outside of school. I have a completely honest, open relationship with my children. When they come home and have their friends over, They'll talk to me about boys they like or with my son his girlfriend with no problem at all because they have nothing to hide from me. We all have laughs and grow closer and I get to know who what kind of people they're hanging out when I'm not they're. I do worry about my oldest and second oldest sometimes/ For instance, over the summer my oldest had 4 main friends that she was with alot and pratically lived at our house (which I had no problem with because they weren't a problem or anything). As soon as they start getting real close as in sharing "secrets" and developing as what would be regonized as "best friends". She stops having them over as much and hanging out/talking about persoanl things with them. She was flat out honest when I asked her why she hasn't hung out with them. Her answer was "They were in my comfort zone and after awhile we were getting too close for my liking and I was sharing my personal feelings and the more personal things they know the more attacted I'll get and then when/if they do something that betrays the friendship, It'll hurt more than anything" Right now she still is in contact with them I do believe but she also has new friends that she, as i put it, "keeps at arms length" My second oldest has had the same friends since 1st grade and refuses to interact with alot of new potential friends. Infact, he hardly even talks to them anymore. He's a quiet kid who keeps to himself majority of the time. I bring him along to chruch functions to try to get him to be more open to finding new friendships but he's not interested. He's not refusing to talk to anyone because when we do family things together like going to amusement parks, bowling or just family talking in general he's very outspoken and talkative, enjoying himself. He's just an extremely shy kid but I'm trying to make progress with him being open to aleast talking to new people. I've made some because He's introduced Nekk to some of of his classamtes which is a start and Nekk is starting help him become "closer" with some new classmates. My youngest, I don't have to worry about because he meets you once and after that everytime he sees you he'll take your ear off. Everytime theirs a new student in his class, he's the first to go over and introduce himself and ask them to play or whatever 6 year old boys talk about XD. He does know not to talk to strange adults though. I had to teach him that real early in he's talking stage otherwise we would probably have had many problem with that :O For the most part, the friends my children meet and hang out with are good kids and I'm hoping that it doesn't change Do you approve of majority of your children's friends or are they the type that you don't want them hanging out with? Do your children have problems with becoming extremely close with friends? How close are you with your children's friends? Do you just meet them and thats about it or do you talk with your children and your childrens friends when they're over? Just some things to ponder :) Coments/thoughts/opinions are welcomed