amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

sweet~potato · 04-11-2004, 08:56 PM

My ds is 3.5 and I plan on homeschooling him. He is my only child and will most likely remain my only child. Since having mentioned to a few family members that I am going to homeschool him, I have received a lot of negative comments about how lonely he will be without any other kids to be around all day. Oh, and how bored he would be staying home with me all day - gee thanks!

Now, part of me sees their point. My ds LOVES to play with/be around other kids, but in school not much time is spent actually playing with other kids, right? Would just being in a classroom with other kids really make that much of a difference in his life? Will he really get sick of being around me all the time, even if we do get out a lot and have parkdays with other hs'ers? I guess I just need to hear some positive things about hs'ing an only child to counteract these negative comments.

Rebecca · 04-11-2004, 09:37 PM

This is exactly why homeschool support groups exist! Join one now -- usually you don't have to already have a "school aged child" to do so -- and get to know some folks that are already homeschooling. Get involved with your local homeschooling community.

Believe me, as a homeschooler of an only child, a son that is 7, there are TONS of ways to have them involved with other children -- in much more positive and uplifting ways than most likely they'll get in a school room.

Do your research. Read your books. Join some groups. Get your "arsenal" ready to "fight" such comments and negativity in the future -- believe me, it doesn't go away!!!

Grassaf,

Becca

tara · 04-11-2004, 10:03 PM

We're homeschooling an only child (with no plans for more children). We find more value in one-on-one interaction at this point - Sam is almost a year older than your son, so they are similar in age. We do go to our homeschool park days, but he probably has more fun at the playdays with only one or two other children. I'm not sure if that will change with age.

I'd say that it'd be good to become familiar with your local homeschooling community even if you don't do a whole lot with them right now. Ours has informal field trips and other activities that we sometimes take advantage of, and I think as Sam gets older we'll be more involved.

Also, a lot of kids like being out and about in the world, interacting with people of all ages - which they don't usually do if they are in school all day. I found that homeschooled children are more at ease with adults, elderly people, etc., because they aren't separated from them the bulk of the time.

I just thought of an article that might be good for you to read:
article

Tara

sweet~potato · 04-12-2004, 09:54 AM

Thank you for your replies and thank you for the link to that great article Tara.

We do have a hs group in my area and they will probably start doing their park days now that the weather is getting nicer. Maybe being around lots of other hs'ers will give me more confidence to deal with the naysayers.

Anyway, it is just nice to hear from other mamas who hs only children, since when I read articles about hs'ing, they all seem to have 3 or more kids, yk?

carolinesmom · 04-12-2004, 10:11 AM

Our local YMCA has a weekly (group) daytime gym and swim time for homeschoolers. An art studio has a class as does a music studio. So, at least around here (Philadelphia suburbs) there are lots of opportunities for group interaction without being in a traditional school setting.

IBelieveInFae · 04-12-2004, 10:22 AM

Annabelle is three and a half and very outgoing. I am also getting a lot of flack about socializing her.

I have been very lucky and found a local HSing AP mama with *two* girls. Annabelle only wants to play with girls. So she is in hog-heaven. It seems to be enough for her.

I've been learning more about only children from a parenting point of view. I am technically an only child (I have a half-brother and three step-siblings). I really want to sit down and read a book about the issues of parenting an only child soon.

My personal feelings are that with an only child we have to be more aware of finding friends for our children if we don't already have them. I keep moving so I don't have a huge network of friends with kids, and I have a *very* small family. I find that I can over do it, too. My plan is to have Annabelle in one class outside the home like Daisy Scouts or ballet lessons. I also want to do home school park days and play with friends. After my next move I'll be near a church so there will be kids there too : D Heck, there might even be neighborhood kids!

skyblue · 04-23-2004, 01:59 AM

Have an only child here. She is also 3.5 and we are already getting started (Little Hands books are great). I belong to a local homeschool group. Although most of them are more conservative than I, I talked to one mom about Alpha Phonics and another about TWTM tonight at our monthly meeting. Curriculum crosses all boundries!

Jennifer