lonely teen

[Lizzie1678]

I'm struggling with how to support my 16 year old son who is feeling very lonely and isolated. I'm a worrier and think I'm probably making things worse by constantly badgering him. After he left school he decided to do an apprenticeship. All his friends went on to college and have made new friends and have plans at weekends with them. He does have a couple of good friends but as they are at college during the week, they have part time jobs at weekends so are always busy. His apprenticeship is with a new firm and everyone is older than him so he hadn't really made friends there. This weekend he has just been sat in on his own watching tv or playing on his computer. He looks so down and upset it breaks my heart but when I try to talk to him, he bites my head off. It's making me feel sick and I'm not sleeping through worrying. Is anyone else going through the same with their children??

[Quoteunquote]

Get him to your nearest undercover climbing wall, it's a great sport to make friends in, and fills you full of confidence, pay for some individual lessons to get him the basics.

[FernieB]

Could he also get a weekend job? Just a few hours somewhere? He could meet other teens then or at least would have some extra cash and it would keep him busy. It would also fill up his CV.

[Ireallydontseewhy]

Does your ds like, or want to try, a sport - martial arts, football, hockey, running? They tend to have clubs that meet at weekends - so at least there is something to do at the weekend - and it may be a way of making new friends as well? if ds isn't into team sports, maybe something like cycling?
It can be difficult for dteens to join something where they don't know anyone - and hard to persuade them! But could be worth a try.

[flowergirl456]

You could almost be writing about my 16 year old son, he too feels lonely and isolated. He's still at school, but has had a fall out with a group of friends which has shattered his confidence. He also doesn't go out at weekends, sits on his computer all the time. I don't know what to do either. I considered a climbing wall (he loves climbing) but everything seems geared towards children or adults not teenagers. He has two older sisters at Uni, who fortunately he gets on with brilliantly and they are a great source of moral support but they are away a lot of the time. I'm hoping things will improve as he enters Sixth form.
Sorry to be not of much help, it must be tough entering the adult working world so young. Could he do an evening course at College? They are good socially, and he's still young enough to get funding.