Julie's Mom•Logic: When my 6-year-old son acts up in front of our friends, I freak out!

"Saturday night, my hubby and 6-year-old son had a "guys' night/sleepover" with our best friend and his 4-year-old son. They went to a testosterone-driven Monster Truck Rally, stayed up past midnight, then crashed at our place. The boys woke up before 7, which pretty much spelled disaster for the rest of the day. You see, my son needs a full night's sleep, or he is an absolute nightmare behavior-wise. With 10 hours sleep, he is still a sometimes spirited child—but on 7 hours, he turns into a different person. His hearing seems to go completely, because he doesn't listen to a thing my husband or I say. He impulsively does insane things, like push the button to shut the garage door when our friend's son is standing directly under it. Stuff like that. I don't know about you, but I am always stressed about my kids being on best behavior when we are around our friends' kids.

Not that I think they are going to 'break up with us' if our kids misbehave (after all, these are our best friends in the entire world)...I'm not really sure what my issue is. I think I am embarrassed when my child acts less than perfect. I worry about what my friends will think about us when they drive off. And, I guess if I'm being really honest, I am freaked that they will like us less.

Every kid acts like this sometimes—I'm just sorry our friends had to witness it and be subjected to it. I love my son so much, that I only want the ones closest to us to think the best of him. When the curtain is pulled back and they get to see him warts and all, it stresses me out.

But isn't that what true friendship is: When someone knows all your flaws, but loves you anyway? And don't I love their kids just as much when they're having an off day? I just wrote an email to my friend apologizing for my son's behavior, and he instantly wrote back: 'Don't be silly, bitch! Kids are kids. xoxo' I guess that says it all. Thank God for friends like these."