| Deb, my experience with my very focused, very driven daughter is that sometimes she needs "permission" to take a break. On the occasions when I've received a "woe is me" phone call, I've encouraged her to set aside the books for a time and do something just for fun. She knows this in her head, but sometimes it helps when the encouragement comes from someone else. Yes, I do get the immediate response, "But I can't; I'll fall too far behind", but I just remind her that sometimes recharging one's batteries is what it takes to keep going for the long haul.
Would your son consider hosting a pizza night (or something similar)? When my daughter was wanting to reach out beyond the usual group of friends, I sent her a check to cover the cost of several pizzas and encouraged her to invite some of the folks she wanted to get to know better. She ended up with a roomful (and then some) of people, and her circle of friends seems to have expanded since then. |