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How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

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How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

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Casual scribe
dafodil

How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

Hi 

i am going through a stressful situation and really appreciate other parents advise as to what direction i should go

main problem : son is mostly in his room after school hours,weekends, holidays, doesnt like any sports or even walking outdoor for fresh air. 

although he was normal until 12 yrs, faced difficult situation when he saw his elder sister suffer from chronic illness ..with lock down last 2 years everything went online and he has become very different ..

Dad and son dont talk at all..not even one word

otherwise i have no complaints to make. lovely family but cant carry on like this.

i have made mistakes in past ..had fights arguments with husband in front of kids..which has probably ruined his happiness.

 

what should i do now..

my son loves art,chess,badminton...but not interested..

with Gods grace he is interested to study and want to go to uni..but i am deeply concerened if it may leadd to depression as his paternal grandma suffered from lupus and clinical depression##

 

Thankyou

 

Super frequent scribe
Maddy-RO

Re: How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

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Hi @dafodil 

 

Thank you for raising this issue as I'm sure many parents can relate to seeing a change in their child, especially after covid.

 

It is a bit concerning that he is withdrawing, and I can understand why you're feeling worried and wanting to change the situation. This post has brought you one step closer to resolving (or helping) this issue.

 

There are services available where you can get parenting support/assistance with regard to this issue. A really good resource for parents in your situation (if you're from Australia) is Parentline, as they offer free and confidential counseling and support to parents on any parenting issues they may be facing. They may be able to help you navigate this situation with your son, support you, and also refer you to any useful services in your area. 

The number for Parentline differs per state. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see which number to call if you're interested. 

 

Another great resource is ReachOut Parents One-on-One Support. This is a free service for parents/carers of 12 to 18-year-olds and includes up to four sessions with a professional experienced in supporting families. You can learn more about this service here.

 

Hopefully, parents who have been in a similar situation can offer you some words of wisdom and support as well.

 

Please let us know how you go with him Smiley Happy

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Casual scribe
Aj81lv

Re: How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

Hi,
What mutual ground do you and your son share? I wonder if there are any activities you can remember that you both enjoyed together? Maybe you could ask him if he remembers, tell him you miss him, ask him if it would be OK for you both to try an activity together. I don't know, at minimum your son will know you love him, you miss him and are ready to re-enage when he is.
Sending hugs 🫂
Contributor
Sophia-RO

Re: How to bring confidence in my teen son 16 yr old

Hello @dafodil , I am sorry to hear about the stressful situation that you are in. It sounds like you care a lot about your son and want the best for him. It is great to see the support that you have received so far on from our community. @Aj81lv  raised some good points and provided some lovely advice and suggestions. The idea of trying out some activities that you enjoyed with your son sounds like it might be helpful to consider. Hopefully some of our other community members will jump in soon to offer some more lovely suggestions and support.

 

Please feel free to keep us updated here on the forums if you would like Smiley Happy.