Quote Originally Posted by shootingstar View Post
Zoom Zoom- Another cyclist (male) father of 2 teen boys, also voiced the same annoyance/concern of lack of social skills.

I was sort of like that child, except I was raised in a big family so one is forced to acquire social skills anyway .. If the child already has 1-2 good buddy friends, that's at least a good sign.

Children with intellectual interior life (in their brain) who appear lonely, in my opinion, do have great potential...well to become well-rounded. It's easier in my opinion to take a slightly introspective child and help them become more "socialable" because they may already be aware of certain gifts/skills that they can share/use more broadly.

So I was the child /teen bookworm, art dabbler and seamstress at that time. I had lots of time to think about what I was/wasn't capable of and explore it.

Of course cycling is a bit solitary too.
Yeah, I think part of DS's "problem" is that he's an only child. My DH was/is very much like our son in many ways (and also an only child), though he has a VERY tightknit network of friends, now. Mostly from work and cycling. My brother (middle of 3 kids...and my son takes after him in MANY other ways) also didn't really develop a lot of close friendships until college. So part of me doesn't worry so much about the social stuff, because I think part of it's genetic/inborn personality type as much as it is the bookworm thing.