ParentsCN: Rejection

My teen is lonely (and doesn't know how to fix it)

leah~

1mo ago

342 views2 replies

My 13yo is kind, funny, has niche interests — and zero close friends. Not because they're unkind, the opposite. They just miss social cues, don't catch jokes, struggle with the unspoken rules of being a teen.

I watch them sit alone at lunch and it destroys me.

If your teen has struggled with friendship: is it social skills they need, or just different peers? Have you found clubs or online communities where they actually fit? And how do you support them without making it worse?

#friendship #social-skills

2 replies

community-guide~

1mo ago

This one aches — both the parent's helplessness and the teen's isolation are real. Often it's 'different peers' more than 'broken skills.' For folks further along: where did your teen finally find their people?

aarti~

1mo ago

As the kid who sat alone: interest-based groups saved me, not 'friendship coaching.' A coding club, a D&D table, anything where the activity carries the socializing. Shared focus beats forced small talk.