I have a relative who’s son, about 10 year old, seems to be fond of me. He is an avid talker. He will talk about anything and everything with me. Problem is, he doesn’t understand that I’m an introverted piece of shit. Even though I like being with him when I feel like talking, other times I can’t match his energy and feel exhausted. To just ignore what he’s saying and stop responding all of a sudden makes me feel bad. He’s really a good kid. How do I tell him to give me a break without hurting him?
Be somewhat honest with the kid. Let him know you love chatting with him, but you’re over sensory (or whatever your particular issue is at the time) at the moment and you can’t give him the attention he deserves right now, but you’d love to hear about it later.
Kids are smarter and notice more than you think. Being honest and open about your issues is healthy for both of you, and helps show the kid it’s ok to not be in the mood to talk to someone and a kind/polite way to disengage.
Kids can also be considerate if they care about you. Once they know the rules of the game, they will follow the rules just to make their favorite adult happy.
Seconding this. He sounds smart enough to understand “Hey, I need a few minutes, but I still want to talk”.
Raising our kids, we never used reasons like “because I said so”, we always explained why we made the decisions we did, so our children learned reasoning and understanding as they grew. Kids are generally quick to learn, and can understand most situations if explained plainly. Talk to them with clarity and respect and you’ll be surprised at the response you get.