Is your son’s father/male figures (uncles/family friend, etc.) engaged in his life? Yes, I’m assuming your female.
I was raised by a single mother. She was busy putting food on the table so, activities were not on the priority list. I had many interstes that went unnurtured as a result. Without some sort of outside interests and some guidance to how all that “stuff” we’re suppose to learn in school fits into the big picture it’s just “stuff”. Sometimes that the correlation needs to be explained. And, I don’t mean just a verbal diatribe about how paying attention is going to pay off in the future.
I was primarily a B/C student in school. Not because I didn’t comprehend the material but, because I was bored with it. Whenever, anyone took the time to pay attention to my grades they always had a WTF moment. It was pretty clear what subjects interested me and which were pure boredom.
I would suggest trying to determine what his interests are if any and nuturing them. Have you asked him if he has any interst in going to college? Possible major?
I’d also be concerned with his lack of friends. What’s the root cause of this? May not be an issue or it could be a sign of something.
As I grow older and hopefully wiser, there are a few things that I have noticed. A good portion of the people that should be “happy” based on what our society seems to think happiness is are pretty miserable. The flip side to that, most of the genuinely happy people that I have met don’t have a large monetary wealth, degress from fancy schools, or any of the things that we tend to associate with success.
My son in only two but, I’m already wrestling with what our approach is going to be with his education. We’re looking at the cost of private school vs. the glorious PUSD. I always wanted to be an engineer so I’m constantly buying him blocks and tools. So far, he really likes music and artistic type stuff. So, piano lesson may be in order. I weep inside.
At the end of the day I really think it all comes down to him. What will he want out of life and what will make him happy.
I think most parents really want their children to be happy. Then, there are those that are using their children’s lives as an extention of their own. Another topic entirely.
