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Original poster

Is 22 too old to attend a youth club?

166 replies

AlePock · 25/02/2023 02:53

I’m thinking of getting my 22 year old son to go to a youth club because he has few friends and he wants to make some new ones. I went to a youth club when I was younger on a Friday night but it was mainly under 16s. Do they do them for older kids too?

OP posts:
EmilyGilmoresSass · 25/02/2023 02:56

Sorry. But where I am from youd ne laughed at for hanging around a youth club at 22 and quite honestly if I was a parent of younger children within it, I'd not be happy (though wouldn't understand clearly if the individuals mental capacity had been impacted)

Original poster
AlePock · 25/02/2023 02:58

I don’t mean a children’s one, that would be silly! I mean one aim at older adolescents like sixth formers or college/university students.

OP posts:
HamBone · 25/02/2023 03:05

I think he’s too old for that type of club. He’s an adult and it would be better for him to find a group that focuses on one of his hobbies.

ShippingNews · 25/02/2023 03:05

Personally I'd be avoiding youth clubs. At 22 he is over that age and he could be perceived as creepy. I'd be talking to him about joining a club related to his interests, or perhaps learning something new. Volunteering is also a great way for people of all ages, to meet over a shared activity.

Lizzy1328 · 25/02/2023 03:07

He needs to start a new hobby, plenty of chances to meet new people that way.

Bootskates · 25/02/2023 03:09

"Older kids"? He's a grown man

FurAndFeathers · 25/02/2023 03:13

Your son is an adult man. It is not appropriate for him to hang around with 6th formers or for his mum to coordinate his social life.
I suspect this is not real

Kinneddar · 25/02/2023 03:20

He can't go to a youth club ffs. He's an adult. He's a 22 year old man. How can you think it's appropriate.

Firebird83 · 25/02/2023 03:22

I haven’t heard of youth clubs for college/university students. I thought they were for younger teens.

HamBone · 25/02/2023 03:23

@Firebird83 Exactly. My DD is currently applying to universities and they have clubs for different interests and activities.

I think this thread is a windup!

Original poster
AlePock · 25/02/2023 03:24

By the sounds of it then they don’t do older adolescent youth clubs. I’ve tried Facebook groups but they don’t work. I could try getting him to join a hiking club as he likes walking.

OP posts:
Dondigdu · 25/02/2023 03:27

If I saw a 22 year old man at a youth club for children or teenagers I would immediately think he had special needs or was a pervert 🙈

PortiasBiscuit · 25/02/2023 03:37

hes not an older adolescent, he’s a grown up.
Have you considered that your opinion and treatment of him may be one of the factors hindering his social life OP?

Overthebow · 25/02/2023 03:41

They do have them for older kids but your son is not an older kid, he’s an adult. No he can’t go to one.

RememberMarch · 25/02/2023 03:46

PortiasBiscuit · 25/02/2023 03:37

hes not an older adolescent, he’s a grown up.
Have you considered that your opinion and treatment of him may be one of the factors hindering his social life OP?

This is exactly what crossed my mind

Idlikeasize8please · 25/02/2023 03:57

I can see you are worried about him. Everyone wants their child to have have an active social life. Perhaps his mood is low and you are supporting him.

Does he work OP? For his age, he should get to meet a few people this way. Has he got a girlfriend/boyfriend? Would he engage with some dating apps?

Also, he is a grown man so you do not need to sort out his social life but just encourage him to sort it on his own (even if it's just tough love to find a job).

Good luck - we worry about them when they are tiny babies and not sleeping, toddlers that don't eat, arguments in school etc. Just because he is now an adult it doesn't mean we can stop worrying about them. It's great he he has a supportive mum.

ToLongToCharge · 25/02/2023 04:00

A adolescent youth club?????

His a man! Try the pub !

Original poster
AlePock · 25/02/2023 04:07

@Idlikeasize8please He works Mon-Wed at the local library but the other staff are mostly middle aged women. He has been on Tinder and Hinge but that didn’t come to much really.

OP posts:
stomachcramps · 25/02/2023 04:09

0/10

SkyHippoOnACloud · 25/02/2023 04:09

AlePock · 25/02/2023 03:24

By the sounds of it then they don’t do older adolescent youth clubs. I’ve tried Facebook groups but they don’t work. I could try getting him to join a hiking club as he likes walking.

He is not an "older adolescent". That's a teenager. He's an adult. There's clubs for adults. One's called Meet Up. Then as already mentioned there's hobby groups and volunteer groups. There's church social groups too and sports clubs. Is there a reason he's not organising his own social life? Your involvement in it comes across as weird. You can't find him friends at his age! He needs to do it for himself. There must be something he's interested in, however weird or niche it may be there's bound to be a group for it somewhere nearby. Is he a country type? There's Young Farmers if so. A friend of mine does bell ringing at church, get to travel round the country with that. Another friend does amateur dramatics. Send him to the library to find some inspiration for new hobbies and interests, then look for groups. There's probably groups advertising on the library notice board too.

PermanentTemporary · 25/02/2023 04:12

I'm a bit mystified. But yes, suggest he tries a hiking group. There might be one that focuses on younger people.

Would he consider something like the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, if he likes outdoorsy stuff?

ApolloandDaphne · 25/02/2023 04:14

You might think he needs friends and hoboes but he is a man of 22 and needs to try and sort this out for himself if he is seeking friendships and company. Maybe he needs to look for a full time job somewhere where he will be around people of his own age?

WandaWonder · 25/02/2023 04:16

Does he want too?

SkyHippoOnACloud · 25/02/2023 04:24

Isn't there a men's shed group or something like that. Not sure exactly what it's called. I used to have an allotment, got to know the other people there and the organisers ran a few social events per year. In my town there's a train track and a garage type place, once a week people are in there building their own miniature trains and running them round the track once they're finished. Walking group should be easy they're everywhere. Swimming clubs run national competitions so there's a team element even though it's an individual activity, if he's not into team sports. Conservation groups and campaign groups are all over the place if there's anything he particularly cares about.

Threee · 25/02/2023 04:26

Why does he only work Monday-Wednesday. Does he have anxiety/depression issues or special needs?