My 7 yo seems to be much better with adults than kids his own age-anyone else had this?

[Fillyjonk]

With adults he will generally find some sort of common ground and ask a million questions. If they happen to have any kind of engineering or cooking or physics or general self-sufficiency bent he is delighted, but he can generally find something in common with most adults. Twice in just the past week he's latched onto other adults and a really nice mentoring relationship has developed and both times they have been really genuinely complimentary to me about him. He has learnt a huge amount this way. 

But here is the thing, when he is with other kids he is a pain to be around. I don't just mean I find him a pain-to an extent, kids are going to mess around when they are together, I have 3 kids, I know this. I mean he is a pain for other other kids, OTT, doesn't know when to stop. These are kids he's known a while. The only time its ok is when he actually finds something in common with these kids, when they know a lot about something he is interested in but doesn't know much about, or vice versa. But when it comes to kids his own age who just don't have much common ground with him, whereas with an adult he will be very interested and really try to find somewhere to engage, with another child he'll normally end up in a (usually verbal but occasionally, embarassingly, physical) fight.

What do you all think? Is this just what some kids are like? Will he grow out of this? (he is 7). I'm almost tempted to minimise the amount that he sees other kids til he grows out of this a bit-except I have 2 other kids who need the social contact. If nothing else-even if he just happens to find most kids a bit dull-he still, IMO,needs to be polite to them. WWYD? Anyone else BTDT?

ETA: oh younger kids, he's fine with too, but he is the oldest of three so I'd kind of expect that really. It's kids his own age and just slightly older where the problem seems to arise.

[mom2ponygirl]

Well, I don't see the same behaviors in my kiddo, but perhaps a similar issue.  She has always enjoyed speaking with adults.  She enjoys playing with younger children.  However, it has been harder to find age peers to relate to.  She hopes that kids her age will share her interests and desire the same depth of conversation on those interests.  It is rare for her to find that combination though.  Her reaction is different.  She tends to withdraw from her age peers rather than pester them.  However, I think the cause may be similar. :-)  

He does need to learn to be polite, but he also needs to find situations where he feels understood and finds others who share the same interests.  I would keep encouraging the relationships with adult mentors.  You might also try organizing some small group activities around an interest of his.  Perhaps he may find a kindred spirit!

I have coached my daughter on ways to try and find shared interests with her age peers.  It has gotten easier with age.  However, she is nearly a teen and still can't bring herself to talk endlessly about boys, popular tv shows,  and fashion with her girl friends. LOL   

[SweetSilver]

Different manifestation, same problem.  My oldest is positively growly and antisocial to kids her age (you've read some of my post on other threads).  To younger kids, older kids and adults she is bubbly and full of energy.

     I am beginning to let go of my need to have her mesh with groups of kids.  (This might not be an option for other parents for various reasons.)  I keep trying other ways.  Having her in gymnastics lessons has helped, though we haven't brought anyone home to play.  But she trains with these kids every week for 1 1/2 hrs, and she wants to be on the team when she's old enough.  I think what helps in this situation is that it's structured time, doing something she loves.  So her interaction is pretty superficial, but a good start, I think.

[briansmama]

My Ds is 7 1/2, and gets along very well with adults. He also gets along very well with kids who are older and younger than he is (he has a little bro, age 4, but my 7 1/2 yr old is the oldest).

I have noticed that he's more competitive with kids his own age, especially other boys. He does fine with girls his own age, but it has seemed to me that he's trying to establish alpha-dog or something that I just didn't "get" with kids his own age. 

This has changed a bit in the last half-year, though not entirely. He still does best with other boys a few years older, and seeks them out. He's fine with the younger kids too, though he generally prefers to play with boys who are older.

BTW- I'm ok with this. His best friend is 9 and a really nice boy, and they have a good friendship. I wonder if it's a maturity thing? He's competitive by nature, but he's also passionate about things he's interested in (sports, building forts, science) and he just seems to seek out kids with similar interests, and they happen to be older....

[onlyzombiecat]

My dd (11) has always preferred talking and hanging out with adults and older children. She does not like being around younger kids. She finds them unpredictable and alarming. She has never fought verbally or physically with other kids.

She enjoys time with her peers much more now that they are getting older and settling down a bit too. The same kids she disliked at 5 years she gets along with okay now.