In thinking that I've spawned a vampire?

[Fecklessdizzy]

He's pale, skinny, dresses all in black and fears the sun ( to be fair he seems to fear drizzle, clouds, mist, light breezes and everything that isn't within the four walls of chez Feckless - unless there's pizza involved ... )

Basically, since he got back from an outwardboundy thing in Wales a week and a half ago DS1 has been lurking in his room and resisting all my attempts to get him to come out and Do Stuff. He seems totally cheerful but just wants to potter round painting his little orcs, reading, and watching Monty Python. He's 14 and my first teenager, is this what they do? All his mates live miles away ( we're in the arse end of nowhere country ) and mostly seem to be off on their hols anyway.

Should I be staging interventions or just leave him to it? We're off to the Western Isles in a week or so so he'll get some fresh air then ...

Please tell me if I'm being a pratt for worrying, it's just that my Dad and Grandma used to be forever jumping out on me when I was a kid and telling me to to stop reading/ watching/ listening to that trash and go and do something useful instead so I've got a bit of a guilt thing about leisure!

checks for own teenagers - 14 & 16

Both upstairs in their lairs - one watching music videos on YouTube and other is gaming. However I don't mind - eldest is off on a Scout camp for 9 days from Sat so he'll have plenty of outdoor time!!! Just packed enough clothes for canoeing/sailing/caving/hiking/off-road biking for a small army!!

Youngest is coming camping with us for a week so he'll be out of wifi range for most the time too!!

Teenagers - especially males split into 2 camps - outdoors on skateboards/bmx or the indoor gaming/computer variety.

LARP's great these days - it's come a long way from 'you're hit, lie down' :o There are systems with extremely high costume standards such as the games run by Profound Decisions (which he's sadly too young for at 14, but give it a bit of time), and massive fest events such as the Lorien Trust events (which he's not too young for although I think he might need someone older with him if I recall my last look at the rules booklet), as well as smaller local events which will be of extremely varying standard. It's on the whole a good, safe, involved hobby, and if he goes somewhere run by experienced organisers there'll be tutorials and checks on safe fighting and weapon safety (both knowing how to use it and inspections to make sure kit is in good condition; if your combat gear fails weapons check you'll be made to put it away till the end of the event unless you can get it repaired on the spot). People are generally helpful and welcoming.

All that running around the woods in full armour is pretty good exercise too...

Thanks for the kind words y'all ... I'm feeling loads better and the mental-Dad-voice has quite faded away under all the better informed good vibes!

Naoko It's an outfit that runs big events every month May - Aug and they take kids from 8 onwards, although I think the little 'uns need an adult, which isn't a problem as the Big Boy Cousins are going and from the sound of things issuing from the shed so is DP ( they're all in there learning to make chainmail )