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?

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
    29·
    16 hours ago

    Does his talking exhaust you or is it the need for you to come up with responses? Or is it that you just want to be alone?

    Depending on the answer,

    “I love being with you but I’m too tired for talking. How about you tell me stuff you’re learning/a story while we do Lego and I’ll just keep quiet.”

    “I love you but I’m feeling peopled out, I need to be alone today.”

    “I would love to spend some time with you but my ears have had a hard day and I’m going to put some cotton in and rest them. Do you think you want to just be quiet together, or would you rather go where you can be noisy?”

    In the last one, the cotton balls are a visual reminder to him not to talk, because he’s going to keep feeling the impulse. It’s good if he learns to resist it, but it can be hard to learn. It also indicates that it’s not just him you don’t want to listen to.