The email

I received an email from my son's teacher today.  In the subject line read "B at Lunch".

Oh fantastic, I thought.  What happened at lunch?!

Earlier in the school year he brought home a note from the cafeteria stating that he licked the table! 
Words cannot begin to describe all of the thoughts of disgust that crept into my head as that image went through my mind. 

So now here we go again in the cafeteria . . .

There are teacher's assistants who monitor the lunch room at his school.  Apparently each day this week, when his teacher has picked the class up, the lunch teacher has mentioned that B has had trouble listening during lunch.

Not only has he had trouble at lunch, but yesterday in art, he and another child were breaking the crayons . . . on purpose!  When his teacher asked him why he did it, do you know what he told her?!
He said, "We were trying to make more crayons."

Oh my goodness B!  You were trying to make more?!  You, the child who throws a fit the instant your brother breaks a crayon when we are at a restaurant?  Really?!

Oh wait there's even more!  When Brent went to pick him up from after school care he was sitting in timeout!  Evidently he and another child thought it would be a great idea to throw toys at each other and run around.

Not the best plan you've ever had kiddo!

So, Brent and I began our evening with some detective work.  As we calmly discussed the days/weeks events we came to the conclusion that B needed to write apology letters to: his lunch teacher, art teacher, after school teacher, and classroom teacher.  He also said he thought he should get the art teacher some new crayons when we go shopping this weekend.

While I'm not thrilled about his choices I'm glad that he was able to come up with appropriate ways to rectify the situation.

I am still concerned.  B has always been a bit of a follower.  He has had this 'friend' whom he met at school this year.  This friend doesn't seem to make the best choices. 

I am not trying to be one of those: My child doesn't do anything wrong kind of parents.  Oh believe me he's a stinker.  I'll be the first one to admit that, but he's an age appropriate stinker and typically after we discuss things with him and he has consequences for his actions the undesirable behavior is extinguished.

All of the sudden this year (Kindergarten) he's coming home with new behaviors, vocabulary, etc.  Each time we ask him where he got these undesirable acts from his response is the new friend.  Unfortunately I'm coming to the conclusion that these behaviors are a result of this other child's influence.  What is the best way to handle this situation?

We've discussed making good choices even when others don't.
We've suggested playing with others. 
We have even named others for him to play with.
He knows to tell the child to stop and to get an adult if the child doesn't listen.
I don't know what else can be added to this list.