I know my teenage son is different because he orders extra broccoli on his vegetarian pizza.  He is so conscious of animal rights that he requests no cheese in case it contains animal enzymes and he grates his own rennet-free cheese over the top.  He’s been a vegetarian since he was ten.  He’s now nearly fifteen.  I thought his no-meat phase would last a couple of weeks at most.

He adores horses, has a part-time job cleaning out stables and he loves books.  He doesn’t know how many cylinders a V8 Commodore has – nor does he care.  He is so environmentally aware that his first car will be a hybrid vehicle that runs on vegetable oil.  His favourite movie is “An Inconvenient Truth”.

He had a hard time at primary school because he hates football, rough and tumble and silly-acting children and would tell the other boys off for stepping on ants.  After that they went out of their way to smash snails with their boots in front of him, and he was the one who got the reputation for being difficult.  He’s very sensitive and has empathy for all living creatures.  He tells me when there is an injured bird in the local park and we take the bird to the vet together.

He is academically gifted in maths and science and his high school teachers (unlike his primary school ones) tell me he is a pleasure to teach.  He has long curly brown hair, deep blue eyes and a fair complexion.  He blushes embarrassingly at the drop of a hat.

Shopping for shoes and clothes can be a challenge.  Leather uppers are out, plastic belts are in and he’s very particular about the cut and the fit of his shirts and jeans.  He gets on well with adults but not with children his own age.  He is not popular, but I have said when you go to University there will be other young adults just like yourself and you will fit in there.

I have been told by many that he must a very hard child to live with.  They are wrong.  We are very close and he is a pleasure to be with and I am very proud to call him my son.

I tell him – be yourself and dare to be different, it’s people like you who are the future of this world.

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From Psych Central's website:
PsychCentral (April 17, 2010)

    Last reviewed: 17 Apr 2010