I have tried to talk with him about it in person, and he basically shuts down and is unwilling to listen, or turns the conversation to something else. My wife also tried to have a mom-to-mom discussion with his wife, and she was just full of excuses "it was cold and she was sick, yadda yadda."

Both of them truly believe that their kid is well behaved and that anyone who thinks otherwise is just crazy. The thing is, we like kids. I have a stepdaughter and two nieces who know how to handle themselves around people. And when they start breaking down and getting cranky, my brother either lays down the law or takes them elsewhere to settle down. No issues whatsoever. I also have a nephew who is a holy screaming terror, and his mother knows that he shouldn't go camping until he's older and better behaved and doesn't take him on trips like this.



I do feel bad for my buddy, I know he loves camping with us. And I do want him to come hang out, I just feel like a separate "family space" and "adult space" would be good so there is someplace to go when people need to chill out. But it's also not like camping is the only time we see him. We probably hang out at least 2-3 times a month for happy hour or BBQ's. And his kid is totally welcome at those events.