Lost the student council election and keeps saying it doesn't matter. He's 15

sunny_compass_79829 Oct 2026

Our son, class 10, stood for a student council post this year. He practised a short speech on us twice, his friends campaigned for him, and he didn't get it. A classmate he gets along with did. Since then he's been saying 'it doesn't matter, it was just for fun' a little too often. He's eating, studying, going to football. Nothing is wrong exactly. But he has stopped mentioning school at dinner at all. Do I bring it up or let him be? I don't want to make it bigger than he wants it to be ❤️

3 comments

tulsi_ladle_13929 Oct 2026
My son is 11 so no council elections yet, but he lost a class quiz final in September and gave us exactly the 'doesn't matter' line. I didn't bring it up. About a week later he started talking about it in the car on his own. Sometimes they need a few days.
sage_notebook_614530 Oct 2026
I would mention it once, lightly, and then leave it. Something like 'I thought it took guts to stand at all, and I'm sorry it didn't go your way.' If he doesn't want to talk, at least he knows you noticed.
- sunny_compass_79830 Oct 2026
  That's close to what I had in mind. He did practise the speech on us, so I can say something about that without turning it into a big talk. Thank you, both of you.
linen_bookmark_444830 Oct 2026
My 14 year old lost a house captain vote last year. What stung, it turned out, wasn't losing, it was that one friend didn't vote for him. Took a month to come out. Might be worth watching who he's talking to these days rather than asking about the election.