Hello, I am new here and I have a 12 year old son, my concern is that he is lacking friends. He started 7th grade this year, is in all honor classes, never complains about going to school, but I feel he seems to be lacking friends.
Of course I remember when I was in 7th grade, I was always wanting to do something with my friends, or to have my mom take me here or there, and I can not tell you the last time he ever received a phone call from anyone asking to get together...The phone was my life line at his age. I also know boys and girls are different...so maybe this is normal for boys his age.
He does have friends in the neighborhood, but they range anywhere from 4th grade to 10th grade..of course we push for him to really stay with the older kids, but more than not, he will hang out with the 4th graders if no one else is around. The 10th grade boys are good kids, not into the "party"scene or anything, and plus I know the parents, and I think it is good for him cause he is so immature for his age in alot of ways, but in others, he is very smart, almost too smart for his age. He lacks street smarts for sure, which I feel is important now a days.
I struggle to make him understand that brushing your teeth and wearing different clothes everyday is very important...ohh and the hair...we had to actually cut it short cause he did not brush the back of his hair for so long, that it ended up knotting so bad that we could not brush thru it, we had to cut it..it was so embrassing...again, I am sure most of this is age related as well, but part of me really worry's that he lacking friendships right now, and I am afarid it is only going to get worse not better....Does this sound normal with your preteen boys? Do you find they different than girls on this friendship level?
Also note, it is school vacation week, and he has been outside once this week to hang with the kids...but no one from school, he says he does have friends at school, has called him together or anything...I know probably sound crazy...and this should be the least of my worries, but I just can't help it...
Thanks for any advice that you may have...I never thought rasing a preteen/teenager would be so hard...and the hard part has not even begun yet...
Of course I remember when I was in 7th grade, I was always wanting to do something with my friends, or to have my mom take me here or there, and I can not tell you the last time he ever received a phone call from anyone asking to get together...The phone was my life line at his age. I also know boys and girls are different...so maybe this is normal for boys his age.
He does have friends in the neighborhood, but they range anywhere from 4th grade to 10th grade..of course we push for him to really stay with the older kids, but more than not, he will hang out with the 4th graders if no one else is around. The 10th grade boys are good kids, not into the "party"scene or anything, and plus I know the parents, and I think it is good for him cause he is so immature for his age in alot of ways, but in others, he is very smart, almost too smart for his age. He lacks street smarts for sure, which I feel is important now a days.
I struggle to make him understand that brushing your teeth and wearing different clothes everyday is very important...ohh and the hair...we had to actually cut it short cause he did not brush the back of his hair for so long, that it ended up knotting so bad that we could not brush thru it, we had to cut it..it was so embrassing...again, I am sure most of this is age related as well, but part of me really worry's that he lacking friendships right now, and I am afarid it is only going to get worse not better....Does this sound normal with your preteen boys? Do you find they different than girls on this friendship level?
Also note, it is school vacation week, and he has been outside once this week to hang with the kids...but no one from school, he says he does have friends at school, has called him together or anything...I know probably sound crazy...and this should be the least of my worries, but I just can't help it...
Thanks for any advice that you may have...I never thought rasing a preteen/teenager would be so hard...and the hard part has not even begun yet...
