Laura, The secret is to put the sugar and the tea bags into a container and pour boiling water over this mixture. To make a 2 quart pitcher of sweet tea, you will need: 2 cups of boiling (HOT, HOT) water
2 family size Lipton Tea Bags (it's the only kind that we use)
sugar (I usually use 3/4 of a cup)

Place the tea bags and sugar in a pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea and sugar. Steep for AT LEAST 10 minutes. Pour enough cold water into the pitcher to fill it, and remove the tea bags.
In the south we drink iced drinks all of the time--any season, any time of the day. My family won't drink hot tea. My husband is the only one in our family that drinks coffee and he goes and gets 1 cup every morning at our local TOM THUMB convenience store. I've never had a cup of coffee in my life! On really COLD days my daughter and I will drink hot chocolate, but only after it is lukewarm.
Make your son a pitcher of iced tea, slice a lemon, fill the glass with ice,put a slice of lemon on top of the ice, and pour the tea over the ice. Tell him to drink a glass and imagine himself back in God's country, the south! If my recipe is too sweet decrease the sugar. If it isn't sweet enough increase the sugar.
Let me know if your family enjoys our favorite southern drink!