Katlego Sekhu

A listener recently shared her concerns about her eldest daughter, who she says is introverted just like her father. The teenager doesn’t have many friends, spends most of her time alone, and shows little interest in bonding with her younger sister.
While the mother, who wrote in anonymously, is proud of her daughter’s academic achievements, she worries that her tendency to isolate herself may be limiting her ability to develop essential social skills.
Reaching out to The Best T in the City with Tbose, she asked if there might be any blind spots she could be missing as a parent and whether this behaviour is something to be concerned about.
“I am married with two kids. My eldest, who is 14, is exactly like her father – very introverted. Like him, she doesn’t care much for friendships, prefers reading, and enjoys staying indoors. Half the time, I have to drag her out of the house, which sometimes escalates to me having to shout.
“While many parents would be thrilled to have a child focused on books and a top academic achiever, I find myself concerned. I feel like she’s missing out, especially on developing essential social skills. Looking at my husband, I see a man I love deeply, but also someone who lives in his own world.
“And now my daughter is following the same path. As a mom of girls, I imagined my daughters would be close and maybe even best friends, but my eldest shows little interest. She barely spends time with her little sister and often seems irritated by her presence.
“I have a brilliant 14-year-old. She’s in the top 5 at her school and not interested in TikTok or social media. All she wants to do is read or watch “geeky” things on YouTube. Should I just accept this as her personality and let her be?
“I sometimes wish she were more like other girls her age, but my mum keeps reminding me that, with the way the world is now, I should be grateful she’s like this. Will she eventually grow out of this and become more social? The world can be so harsh on people like her, which truly worries me.”
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast.
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