Now kids are being brainwashed too?

I live in Ponda, and we are the only Catholic family in our area. This year, we decorated our place more elaborately than in previous years. Many children often play in front of our place, and one of the neighbor’s kids came near our gate and started asking my mother questions about Christmas. My mother enjoyed the conversation and answered his questions. She then invited the boy to visit our place the next day for Christmas. However, the boy responded, “I’m a Hindu, not a Catholic.” My startled mother replied, “So what? It doesn’t matter, you can still come to eat sweets and play.” To this, the boy said, “I’m a Hindu; we don’t go to Catholic people’s houses.” For context, this child maybe just about 6-8 years old and he’s family ain’t native Goan. But this incident left me wondering—are these sentiments widespread among Goan Hindus? Are we already so divided? What are we trying to achieve by fostering such attitudes?