DS8 is not all that athletic, somewhat introverted, and generally not interested in things that other kids his age like. He has his small group of close friends, and has little interest in adding to that group. When he gets stressed out or upset over something, he often turns to the things he IS good at - math, and science. He is learning the basics of algebra, loves archaeology, astronomy, and physics, and is "that kid" who gets curious about how something works and takes it apart, only to find that he sometimes can not put it back together again. Personally, I am okay with that. I love the fact that my child does not go out of his way to fit in with every stupid trend that makes its way through the halls of his school. However, my family does not see it that way. While they are supportive of the fact that he gets good grades, they believe he needs more "kid time" and I am forcing him to do math when he would rather play video games. (For the record, he begged for months for me to teach him some algebra, and I actually had to tell HIM no until he got the hang of multiplication and division). Last time my family got together, my mother actually took his books and hid them, so he would do something else. This actually increased his stress level, believe it or not.
DS will soon be testing for his second degree black belt in taekwondo, and is an avid hiker. He spends ample time with his friends, most of it in active outdoor play, but tends to shy away from most other people. He also tends to be a bit insecure, though, so it doesn't help for my entire family to make him feel like there is something wrong with him for enjoying math and science.
So my point is that we will be visiting family for Thanksgiving, and while I want him to be able to take a break and play with his cousins and such, I also want him to have the option of working on the other things he enjoys as well. How do I make this clear to my family full of argumentative type-A personalities without starting world war III?
