How to Help Your Teenage Son Make Friends
Watching your teen have problems forming friendships is difficult and heartbreaking. It is important to encourage your son and help him without becoming overbearing and intrusive. Provide support and empathy, and encourage him to participate in social activities. Be a positive example for your son by sharing your own friendship struggles and successes.
Instructions
Encourage Participation in Social Activities
Contact your son's school for a list of clubs and extracurricular activities. Encourage him to join one. Check newspaper job listings for part-time jobs. Often, teens too shy to approach others on their own find comfort in the forced social setting of jobs. Bring your child to your own social activities or public outings to give him practice in social situations. Talking to strangers and acquaintances takes practice just like any other skill. Your son can practice with people outside of his social group to help his skills with people his own age. Be a Positive Influence
Share your past experiences with your son. Letting your son know that you struggled making friends and made it through your teen years okay will be a reassuring comfort. Be a shoulder for your son to lean or cry on. Have empathy for your son and listen to his problems. Let him vent and give him your support and consolations. Recognize any problematic social behaviors of your son's and encourage him to fix or alter his behavior. Often, teenagers are socially awkward in a specific manner, and providing solutions will help him overcome it. Suggest a few friendly and positive phrases appropriate for an upcoming social activity of your son's. Many teens are not sure of what to say, so they say nothing at all or they say something negative and alienating. Giving your teen a few ideas will ease his nerves and help him open up to peers.