Let’s Chat

Today was the 4th of July and 2 of my kids are now teenagers and want to do stuff with their friends and not with me. My youngest (yes, the baby) is 11, he wants so badly to be able to hang out with his brother and sister and yes there are times when they will hang out with him but more often than not anymore, it’s just him left alone here by himself. His friends are his brothers’ friends too, but his brother has been hanging out with a girl that isn’t in the group of friends that they normally hang out with so unless the big brother is here the neighborhood friends won’t come over as much. This is breaking my heart because i am noticing there is only so much, I can do as a mother to make things better for him. No matter how many times I told him to give his friends at school his number or to get theirs he never did so we are stuck with the neighborhood kids. He is playing Flag Football this summer but with one-hour games and practices it is hard for him to get to know a teammate that he would know he wants to hang out with. I have tried to get him to go to the playground and meet new neighborhood kids, but he is right they are all younger than he is. My husband will take him fishing and camping on days like today, but I wish there was a way I could take away that sadness he has when his brother walks out the door without him. Does anyone have any advice or stories to share that can help me either help him or get over it and let him work it out and stop butting in too much. I am up for anything here even if you want to message me something else you want to talk about, I am here to listen and help if needed.