boy dilemma

John came haltingly out of the shadows... he was TIRED. Explaining that he was in the middle of the night wide awake, he was hoping that he could sleep a little extra and go in to school late. He'd miss math, but he could turn in the homework tomorrow. The tennis team has a match today. (It's going to be a long day for a growing boy.. and he is growing.. an inch in the last month.) So, once again, I am invited to make this decision regarding John's participation in life. As a growing boy, an introvert, the youngest of four, it seems to me he likes to beg off a good chunk of life (except with the big boys which is nearly always fun). Am I encouraging that bowing out that he's already so good at? (Several Thanksgivings we've let him sit in the car to eat his turkey, so he could avoid the big table feast. e.g.) or Am I honoring this growing boy's need to recover from life that demands so much extroversion? and energy? Ay-yi-yi.