Crossroads

[Mommybostic]

My son is in his first year at middle school. He is a fifth grader. He is in the gifted program and attends the advanced class for a full day once a week. To make a long story short, our county school system is totally antiquated and was recently taken over by our state school system. I intended to move him to a different county next year. However, now I am considering homeschooling as a possible option, but I'm VERY nervous. He has the potential to learn anything that is presented to him, and I want him to have every opportunity possible. Everyone keep saying "let him be a kid" and "you'll take him away from his social life." Perhaps afterschooling is the option for us. I already do Spanish and Algebra with him after school now with an online program, and I am getting ready to add a science class since that is by far the worst in his current curriculum. We live in a very rural area so there aren't a lot of homeschooled kids and social groups and all of the things that are suggested to keep homeschooled kids socially active. Will I be hurting his interpersonal skills by keeping him here with me? It sure is hard to know what's the right thing to do.

[H.S. Burrow]

My son is in his first year at middle school. He is a fifth grader. He is in the gifted program and attends the advanced class for a full day once a week. To make a long story short, our county school system is totally antiquated and was recently taken over by our state school system. I intended to move him to a different county next year. However, now I am considering homeschooling as a possible option, but I'm VERY nervous. He has the potential to learn anything that is presented to him, and I want him to have every opportunity possible. Everyone keep saying "let him be a kid" and "you'll take him away from his social life." Perhaps afterschooling is the option for us. I already do Spanish and Algebra with him after school now with an online program, and I am getting ready to add a science class since that is by far the worst in his current curriculum. We live in a very rural area so there aren't a lot of homeschooled kids and social groups and all of the things that are suggested to keep homeschooled kids socially active. Will I be hurting his interpersonal skills by keeping him here with me? It sure is hard to know what's the right thing to do.

 

What about 4-H or Boy Scouts?

[Mommybostic]

He is already in Scouts. He also plays little league soccer, but he can only do that until age 12. What about "afterschooling?" Do home schooled children have trouble interacting with their peers? I feel like he has an advantage because he has been in public school and has a circle of friends in the community.

[Luckymama]

We pulled dd10 from her school this year for academic reasons----she wasn't challenged at all. I had afterschooled her and just saw myself adding more and more afterschooling to her schedule to keep her motivated. When would she have time to be a kid?

 

We made the decision in January and had her finish out the school year in school. I spent January to August reading and researching and planning.

 

She is involved in Girl Scouts and ballet (so that would be like your son's soccer). None of her school friends live around us, so she wasn't used to playing after school with them. She still gets together with them on weekends or for special events, just like she had. It does take a bit more planning on my part since I don't see their mothers at dismissal like I used to.

 

As I told dd, if the kids were her friends before, they will still be her friends even if she's not sitting next to them in a classroom or walking down the hall together. They'd get into trouble for talking at school, anyway!

 

I am discovering more and more activites for homeschoolers in my area. The closest park in the state park system holds weekly science activities/one-session classes and she's participated in a few so far. There is a homeschooling group I've joined which we have used and will use for group discounts at the iceskating rink, nearby museums (30min-1.5hr away), and the PA Renaissance Faire. Dd10 will also use their structure for math competitions, Science Olympiad and the National Mythology Exam (they also do Geography Bee etc). If she makes friends through these activities, fine :) If not, fine also because she already has a social system in place.

 

Must go---snack break is over :)

[Parrothead]

We live in a very rural area so there aren't a lot of homeschooled kids and social groups and all of the things that are suggested to keep homeschooled kids socially active. Will I be hurting his interpersonal skills by keeping him here with me? It sure is hard to know what's the right thing to do.

I've got an only and for 3 years we lived in a rural town and were essentially the only homeschoolers. It was a horrid area to live in and even more horrid to make friends. Then once we made friends it was very hard to get together with friends. It truly was a very strange little town. So basically it was dd and me most of the time.

 

To answer your question, unless you are in a very strange little town, there shouldn't be any problems making and keeping old and new friends. If your son has a buddy that he plays with after school now, there shouldn't be a reason that buddy can't still come over and play after school and on weekends.

 

If there isn't a boy scout troop available, think about starting one. If there isn't a math club available, think about starting one. If there isn't a club for whatever your son is interested in, think about starting one. Model airplanes, chess, Legos, stargazing, etc.