A teenager who takes themselves away from the family table to occupy a separate space on the couch is making a statement. One friend’s daughter is like this because she is the oldest child, and about five years older than the next child. What the younger kids enjoy she can’t enjoy. A nephew was like this as a teen. His father didn’t want to confront him about it. Even when it is your son, it hard to say what is going on. My nephew’s behavior on Shabbos had an influence on one of his younger brothers. Both have struggled finding a place in life, despite being good academically. Neither has seen the inside of a shul since becoming adults, and they limit their contact with religious people.
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