re: 14 year old son has stopped eating

You’re a good parent.

Like others have said, he’s at the most brutal of ages. 13-14 is tough. That’s where most of your bullying, fighting takes place. Most of the kids my age didn’t really chill out until we were 16-17. Your son is just at that weird awkward stage at 14 right now. It’s right before a lot of growth mentally and physically. I was chubby AF at 14. Started playing football, basketball and soccer and by the time I was 16, I had lost a shite ton of weight. Tons of other kids my age, girls and boys, were also chubby at 13-14 and didn’t play sports and still got out of that chubby phase around 16-17. Also around 16-17, most of my friends and other people in my class just mellowed out and stopped picking fights, ragging each other and shite. At 13-15, they’re all so hormonal and shite is changing so fast that it’s a miracle none of us killed each other.

If he’s truly concerned about it, keep an eye on it, be there for him, but it’s likely just a phase. I would try to encourage sports but if that’s no bueno then just try to get him involved in something outside of his school, in a gym, in some BJJ or a martial art or hell even disc golf or something where he’s active and can get his mind off the shitbags at his school.

quote:

---

I doubt I’ll get much more out of him which makes me basically useless other than just hangin around in case he does want to talk.

---

This doesn't make you useless, it makes you a great parent. Teenagers will open up at some point. Often it's during the mundane activities of daily life, and you just have to be ready when they are.