Bored 15-year old new to the UK

[higgsy]

Oh Hello,

My girlfriend was recently moving-over from Spain with her two kids (all speak perfect English)for the start of the new school year. The father of her little one didn't want him to come so he's taken his passport and my girlfriend has had to go back to Spain to sort it out through the courts. I've been left with Andy (15...different dad) who's now started school and we're hoping his mum and brother will be over asap. In the meantime, I've gone from being a non-parent to a single parent and when Andy's not at school he's just playing on the computer (he doesn't have any friends yet). I want to get him out and about, making friends and doing things. What can I do - where can he go? Any advice would be gretaly appreciated.

You've been left with a child who is a stranger?? Is that even legal? Poor guy, he must feel abandoned. WHy could he not return to spain with them?

Scouts is good, they do loads of stuff.

Booboo -. thats not very helpful, good on the OP for wanting to make a difficiult situation easier on the kid. It would disrupt things even more for the kid if he went back to Spain while the mother is in a legal battle for the little one.

OP
Offer to take him and a couple of people from his class skateboarding or similar or on a fishing trip or whatever you like doing.
Do a sport together, cycling trips, sign him up for judo, etc.
Let him know he can invite a couple of people over for a pizza one weekend.
what does he like doing? What did he used to do with his friends in Spain?
Good luck, you sound like you care about him and that's good!

BooBooGlass, thats a huge help!

Are there any local youth clubs? Although that might be a bit intimidating if he doesn't know anyone.

You could speak to the school and see what clubs etc are around in your local area? Something structured would probably be good till he gets to know people. At our school each pupil has a designated teacher that is available to help them with any issues - they might be able to help you.

how about some kind of football club? have a word with a local unders club! im sure he would be great there, they would love a new spanish player!! providing he dosent play like torres!! haha!

Would he go to scouts? 15 may be quite old to start but they go all the way up to 18-21 I think, and provide lots of activities and are a bit more supervised than youth clubs so may be easier to start with until he gets to know anyone local. Otherwise if he likes sports, that's a great way to make friends, or if the school is any good they might do other clubs as well for less athletic kids. It really depends what he's interested in, I think. Good luck with it though! Must be very strange suddenly having a teenager!

What area are you in ??