When teaching kindness and empathy goes too far?

I've always taught my child to befriend the lonely kid, to think of how his actions affect others and think of how others may feel in different situations. But, lately, I think I missed a super important piece of this puzzle and I don't know how to fix it.There's a child in my kid's class who doesn't have many friends, is socially awkward and a bit behind developmentally. He's a year older than my child but in the same grade, they're both 7th graders. This child has sort of latched onto my child and I believe it's suffocating my kid. My child can't go anywhere or do anything without this other child waiting for him or inserting himself into my child's activities. He follows him in school, he waits for him after school to walk home, he hangs around outside our house trying to keep my child there talking to him. And it's not just hanging around him - this child needs to be so close to him - like in his face - all the time.Other kids no longer ask to hang out with my child or walk home with my child because this other kid wants to monopolize my child's attention and will interrupt and get into his face if he's not paying attention to him.I've tried to coach my child and tell him that it's okay and not mean or rude to tell the boy you have other plans that day or that you're walking home with someone else that day or say, sorry, I have to leave now. I've tried to coach him on the importance of making sure others respect his personal space, personal time and personal boundaries. I think it's too late though. My kid just doesn't even try because he thinks it will hurt this other kids feelings. I tell him it will, but that's okay because that kids feelings aren't more important than his. Still, nothing.I'm afraid I taught my child to put his feelings behind everyone else's and that's not what I intended. How do I fix this? via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/367sRK5