Hi All,
We have had quite the time with my almost 16 year old son. He was placed in gifted programming (public school) in 5th grade. He started being bullied for being "smart" in 3rd grade, it escalated to physical violence (after months of torment) in 7th grade and we had to move schools.
Our school district has a strict policy regarding reassignment, and though they moved him (due to the assault) in 7th grade and 8th grade, they denied our request to keep him in the same school track for high school. Rather than send him back to his tormentors, we put him in private school for a year, and though he thrived academically, he was miserable socially.
After many hours of begging and pleading, I got him switched back to the preferred school for 10th grade. He has been happy with his small group of friends, has an overall A average, but refused to do any extracurricular activities like Quiz Bowl, Key Club, Golf or Art Club, even though these are things he enjoyed previously.
Today, I told him that I had signed him up for an ACT prep course at the local Community College. He has been pouting and huffing and puffing ever since.
He would be perfectly happy to sit in this house all summer long and talk to friends online or play video games. He has a summer Art job lined up, painting murals at an event center and has turned his nose up at any volunteer activities I have tried to arrange.
I am a super motivated and involved person and I just don't know how to deal with what I feel is total laziness.
I am glad that he is relaxed and not on edge, but I want to see him excited about something that will benefit him.
Am I being pushy? Should I just back off and accept that he doesn't WANT to stand out? I get it, after what he went through.
I'm so confused.
