Helping a child through the "first year of home" transition?

[Dmmetler]

My DD has been SO excited about homeschooling all summer, but this week, kids went back to school here (we were visiting family and didn't get back until Friday, so will start our fall semester Monday). And especially after Sunday school this morning, she's now very pensive and making comments like "I can go to 2nd grade at ILS next year" and "I'm not going to school this year." Our church has the parochial school she attended last year, and I think being in that building and in those classrooms and seeing that the classes are happening and she's not part of it is really making her feel left out. I don't think she's getting comments from the other kids-only about half of the kids at church attend the parochial school, and a lot of the kids who were in her K class now attend public schools (magnets mostly start at 1st grade), so I doubt many of her classmates from last year see anything at all other than "Oh, you're in a different school now". It's DD that's aware. Adults at church have been quite supportive-even though half my small group teaches at the school.

 

I know, mentally, that once she starts co-op and some of her other activities, and is with the same small group of homeschooled kids, that those friends will likely replace her "school friends" in her mind-but how do I help her through this hump now? It doesn't help any that the homeschool activities mostly begin after Labor day.

[kalanamak]

Schultuete:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schult%C3%BCte

 

My son still talks about his (two years ago).

 

Also, a field trip. Take photos and then make a notebook with captions. It won't be a lot of work, but child will have a physical notebook to point at and feel all puffy, proud over.

[Sun]

Schultuete:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schult%C3%BCte

 

My son still talks about his (two years ago).

 

Also, a field trip. Take photos and then make a notebook with captions. It won't be a lot of work, but child will have a physical notebook to point at and feel all puffy, proud over.

 

Thank you! I am going to do the schultuete for our son's first day of homeschool. It's not first grade, but I think it will be a nice way to start off our homeschooling year!

[NanceXToo]

This is normal, and it will pass. My daughter was SO happy to be pulled out of school toward the end of third grade and was SO excited to homeschool instead.

 

But, rather than homesickness, she got a bit of schoolsickness. She missed her friends- friends that she didn't even feel close enough to to make sure she got their names and phone numbers if she wanted to, which I reminded her to do several days in a row before her last day of public school.

 

It didn't last long overall (it came up time to time for a few months), she'd say she likes homeschooling but she misses her friends and so on.

 

But I can't even remember the last time she gave any indication of caring about or missing public school, and she's only been homeschooled for around a year and a half.

[Dmmetler]

"Schoolsick" is a perfect descriptor. I think it's also that it's so early in the ps school year that the grumbling about school hasn't started yet, so she's hearing the "Mrs. W is so fun! We get to do X, and Y, and Z" type discussions, and...well...DD's teacher is her mom. Her classroom is the living room couch and the kitchen table and the backyard. That doesn't give a lot to compare notes about.

 

 

We'll try doing some really special, fun things in the next couple of weeks as we get into the new year, and see what happens. I also have some special, first day of school treats saved up for tomorrow.

[Gwenhwyfar]

We'll try doing some really special, fun things in the next couple of weeks as we get into the new year, and see what happens. I also have some special, first day of school treats saved up for tomorrow.

 

Those sound like good plans. :)

 

ds12 doesn't really go through this, but dd13 does - every. single. year. - and it's been starting up a bit lately, as she sees her friends (mostly all public school kids) out getting all sorts of new school clothes, backpacks, lunch bags, supplies, etc etc and she turns a little green. ;)

 

Maybe your daughter would like something 'new' - even if she doesn't NEED a shiny new Hannah/Princess/??* backpack, perhaps she'd enjoy one for carrying her snacks to park days and such?

 

* I have no idea what the 5 year olds are into these days. When dd13 was 5, she was all about that <cringe> purple dinosaur whose name shall not be uttered. :tongue_smilie:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Make some great starting school memories with her. Last year we had a big pool party with our group. We were the only people at the pool instead of its being so crowded that you couldn't even sit.

 

When we started homeschooling, we weren't in an area with other homeschoolers. By accident we fell into going to the aquarium each first day of school. No big groups to jostle through and a fun trip downtown.

 

I used to do Schultueten. This year I'm doing a plastic box loaded with school stuff. Sort of like an Easter basket with pencils and a small dry erase.

 

I think some of the wistfulness is in not having something from her end of the conversation. Could be anything specific. Is there something that she asks to do with you that you often put off for a better time? (At our house that would be playing board games and baking.) Or an outing that you've been putting off because of crowds. Something that would give her an exciting thing to talk about with her friends. Maybe even just something to make your school "real" like giving it a name and designing school colors and a mascot.

 

You don't have to wait for an official homeschool group to do cool stuff homeschooling. What if the two of you don't make friends quickly or just don't mesh with folks in the group. If you're doing fun stuff on your own, you won't have to depend on someone else's organization to make your time memorable.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is a window to make your homeschool something unique and special, not just the not-school.

[Dmmetler]

Thank you for the suggestions-I gave her the special treats (How to train your dragon themed folders and pencil case, metallic crayons and colored pencils, and other neat stuff that wouldn't have been allowed at her school last year (and probably not this one-they tend towards the "one blue, red, and yellow two pocket folder with prongs" sort of supply lists), plus her confirmation for "Zoo School", which is a once a month program where homeschooled kids get to go to the zoo, take a class about a specific animal or group of animals, visit the zoo, do crafts, and so on (and get to pack a lunchbox).

 

We're also going to Incredible Pizza (kind of a Chuck-E-Cheese on steroids-it should be nice and empty) for a "Back to school lunch" after her Dentist appointment tomorrow.

 

We had a good first day today. She was very excited to start her new books and has spent most of the afternoon playing with the magnet kit she found in her science box this morning.

[delaney]

My two will be new to this next Monday and I am not sure how they will feel seeing the other kids all lined up at the bus stop. I plan on taking them to breakfast at IHOP, the park, and do just a touch of schoolwork.