I'd probably paint using two-part linear polyurethane primer and topcoat (two coats each, minimum). Prep work is important, ya wanna mask or remove all fittings and sand the entire deck, cockpit area, etc., with a good power sander, a small handheld sander is fine as long as ya swap out sheets often enough. Sand just enough for the primer coats to take good hold, then lay on the topcoats. Same goes if ya choose to gelcoat, sanding & prep work are important. Once you're done, replace any fittings you've removed, and "VOILA!!!" The boat will look like a million bucks. If you're dead set upon gelcoat, know that you'll be dealing with catalyzed resin and pigment, same as in surfboard repair, and there'll be more of each because the boat is larger. Meh, some may recommend gelcoating, but fresh linear poly paint topside doesn't look bad, even if ya BRUSH it on, LOL. As with all glasswork, a steady temp of 70 degrees Fahrenheit is great for curing linear polyurethane primer & paint, and the stuff will flex a bit as the hull works hard in a seaway... just my $.02, FWIW. Sure, it'll eventually get scratched up just like gelcoat, but it's not a bad way to go, topside or bottom, not for these small craft which tend to flex a bit while thrashing under way... plus you can choose a topcoat color which reduces glare on deck (cream, light blue, light tan, etc), though you can also do that with pigments if you're dead set upon gelcoating, LOL. Maybe you'll find a better deal on resin & pigment, who knows? And that "textured" deck? Meh, a smooth linear poly topcoat leads to easier sliding inboard & out while hiking, and there's less... er... posterior rash in board shorts over a long day, LOL. IMHO, the solid placement and security of the hiking strap is far more important than "texture" on a Laser deck. Again, just my $.02, and perhaps your son isn't quite tall enough to use a poly-painted rail as a stop or momentary perch... GOOD LUCK!!!
P.S. One can create "texture" by adding builder's sand to paint, stirring or shaking well and rolling out masked-off deck sections... one can also roll out prepared non-skid applications, same as our crew did for a steel sportfisher decades ago, but these seem a bit extreme for the Laser. Granted, my smooth poly-painted decks were slippery at times, one had to be careful when docking, but for overall conditions while sailing hard, a smooth deck wasn't that bad, it made subtle shifts in live ballast trim really easy while under way, which was more important to me overall... and I was more likely to make "Polynesian-style landings" anyway, loosening the rudder line & lifting the daggerboard while sailing right up onto a sandy beach, LOL. That or I'd be standing on some island reef in my footgear, waiting for an opportune moment to drag the boat to safety. Again, just my $.02, some might think gelcoating is easier, and it can be if you know what you're doing, I always preferred linear poly since I hailed from a poor nautical family [sob]... I'll be on Jerry Springer manana, squawking about how I was "traumatized" by an unsuccessful effort to gelcoat my Laser, LOL. I should add that my best friend's family ran the first and oldest surf shop in my home town for over three decades... board work ain't quite the same as boat work, but by God it ain't that much different either, AYE???
