Reply to 13 DS has no friends

Forum Index » Tweens and Teens

Reply to "13 DS has no friends "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]

OP - I agree with the idea of a screening for depression when he has his next physical with his doctor without you being in the room so he can be more open.  As hard as it is for you, I would also limit screen time because it allows one to get into his or her own world.

[b] You do not indicate what he is doing this summer, but if a few weeks  of summer camps is not a part of it as yet, I would make the effort to get him signed up for at least a couple of weeks giving him a choice, but saying that yes he does need to be up and out and do the research and let him choose.  He needs to just have some fun to break the cycle of being sad.[/b]

He can definitely benefit from sports but he may need some encouragement.  If there is a DH, this is a time and place for Dad to put some time into DS and just plan times when the two can go swimming, biking or just for hike together.  If Dad has a favorite sports team, then take DS out to a game every so often as DS needs to have a male figure to confide in, too.   I can well imagine if is easy for DS to get lost with the hubbub of his younger sisters.

Summer time might be the perfect time to suggest that he take up something new and find an instructor or program to do so:  An art class, a musical instrument, an individual sport such as tennis, golf, martial arts that would at least get him exercising.

For late middle school to early high school some ideas might also be:

- Scouting as mentioned if there are troops taking middle school aged boys.
- Joining a church in your denomination or a brand new one with an active youth group.
- Fining a volunteer outlet for him which might even start out as a family event.  But certainly by age 14 there will opportunities in the DC area
- Joining a community or private fitness center because again this is a place for DS to just go to in time for what he chooses and to go to with either parent.

And, you and DH can have an honest discussion with him and set some house rules which will hold for all siblings about expectations of a balanced life of school, one in-school or community based activity each quarter/semester and the expectation for regular physical activity AND a limitation or monitoring for all on screen time not only during the week, but on weekends, too.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics