I agree with you that it could be addressed by your boyfriend better , this could be a habit the boy has got into and as we all know habits are hard to break and it probably wasnt helped or maybe even caused by loosing his Mom that way so I think we have to be compassionate and perhaps focus on giving him plenty of positive attention, does his Dad play games and sports with him , Fun, If he has an appt to see a specialist that may be also a good idea.