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?
“Hey, [name], I know you would like to do/talk about X with me, but I’m tired and would like to be alone because [reason explained in a way a kid can grasp easily]. We can do X some other day.”
Basically just make it clear that you still like him, but you can’t always be with him, and explain why.