Wabi Sabi Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Today our homeschooling group met for park day. There were maybe 20ish kids there ranging from toddlers up to about 13 years old. The thing that I love most about them? Every week the kids come up with some elaborate pretend game to play and everyone who wants to play is included regardless of age. Today they all played for nearly three full hours and didn't need a thing from us adults. They were totally fine entertaining and organizing themselves. My almost 8 year old boy clearly looks up to the older preteen boys and just adores them. You can tell that they truly don't care that he's so much younger. Age just doesn't matter. I could be wrong, but I would imagine that that kind of play across such a wide age range just isn't a regular occurrence amongst traditionally schooled kids, but within our group it's something that I see happen every single week. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yep, I've noticed that too. But what do we know, we're unsocialized homeschoolers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Beachy Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 A homeschooling friend and I were just talking about this. We had a get together and the kids often end up in the pool. There was one older boy (think 5th grade) helping this young (maybe 6) girl across the pool because she could not yet swim. It just made us all smile because we knew that would not be "cool" among many boys his age. :) Beachy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sk8ermaiden Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Today our homeschooling group met for park day. There were maybe 20ish kids there ranging from toddlers up to about 13 years old. The thing that I love most about them? Every week the kids come up with some elaborate pretend game to play and everyone who wants to play is included regardless of age. Today they all played for nearly three full hours and didn't need a thing from us adults. They were totally fine entertaining and organizing themselves. My almost 8 year old boy clearly looks up to the older preteen boys and just adores them. You can tell that they truly don't care that he's so much younger. Age just doesn't matter. I could be wrong, but I would imagine that that kind of play across such a wide age range just isn't a regular occurrence amongst traditionally schooled kids, but within our group it's something that I see happen every single week. I love it! Many of the playgroups I have been to, The 6 and 7 year old girls are so nice about including my 3 year old who ADORES them and it makes me :001_wub:. Especially since most non HS kids we meet out prefer to play "run away from the baby" at that age. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yes, this has been my experience and is one of my favourite things, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 My hs play group is also like this. Us moms were just talking about it last week. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yes, this has been my experience and is one of my favourite things, too. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I love this too, and see it often. Since we didn't start homeschooling until my oldest was beginning 5th grade, this was a wonderful surprise to me. Another to add along these lines? My daughters count as their true friends older women in our church who have been very kind to them in many different ways...women in their 40's to 70's...and invite them to their birthday parties. Even cooler is that these woman are all flattered and always come! A real gift that our HS'ed children view the entire world as friendship possibilities, and don't limit themselves to kids their exact age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 :iagree: My teen boys are just fine playing with littler kids. And shhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell, but my 15yo future Marine is obsessed with babies.:lol: He shares a room with his 2.5yo brother and loves it. (Of course I do have to add that he loves it because he wants to teach the 2.5yo how to keep his room neat...15yo was very glad to move out of the Slob Boys' room.:lol: ) But yeah, at our homeschool charter it's just a big happy (usually) family where all ages interact with each other just dandy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the4Rs Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Having been active in our homeschooling group for two years... what you say is true. I love how everyone plays well together and everyone is included. I would say though that I have seen the same thing with PS friends of varying ages. When we homeschooled, we noticed time and again friends who had kids who were much older and public schooled who would eagerly play with my kids who were much younger than them and they would include children of various ages in their play across the board. They were never rude or standoffish. I guess even when I homeschooled, I never thought that only homeschoolers were gifted with this ability to play with everyone nicely across the age ranges.... but maybe we were just blessed to know some pretty awesome public school families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I think it really just depends on the kids and the setting, not the homeschooling. We have met hs'ers who don't play well in mixed age/gender groups, and our neighborhood has a nice mix of ps/hsers who all play well together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Having been active in our homeschooling group for two years... what you say is true. I love how everyone plays well together and everyone is included. I would say though that I have seen the same thing with PS friends of varying ages. When we homeschooled, we noticed time and again friends who had kids who were much older and public schooled who would eagerly play with my kids who were much younger than them and they would include children of various ages in their play across the board. They were never rude or standoffish. I guess even when I homeschooled, I never thought that only homeschoolers were gifted with this ability to play with everyone nicely across the age ranges.... but maybe we were just blessed to know some pretty awesome public school families. I see this more often in homeschooled families, but I have met a few schooled families that behave the same way. One friend of my oldest dd (12 yo, in school) called here looking for my oldest. Oldest wasn't home and this young lady spent probably 20 minutes on the phone chatting with my then 6 yo dd. Just because my 6 yo answered the phone, recognized the friend, and then wanted to talk. I thought that was so sweet. I see the phenomenon most often in larger families (more than 2 kids). But I have seen it in smaller families when the whole family (mom,dad, children) adore babies and toddlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropymama Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 :iagree: My teen boys are just fine playing with littler kids. And shhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell, but my 15yo future Marine is obsessed with babies.:lol: He shares a room with his 2.5yo brother and loves it. (Of course I do have to add that he loves it because he wants to teach the 2.5yo how to keep his room neat...15yo was very glad to move out of the Slob Boys' room.:lol: ) But yeah, at our homeschool charter it's just a big happy (usually) family where all ages interact with each other just dandy! My 8 year old son thinks it's the best thing ever to take care of the 2 year old. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yes, this has been my experience and is one of my favourite things, too. Me, too. And, how, one friend will be hesitant about joining in something and the others will adjust to make them feel more comfortable. And, along those same lines, the general attitude amongst the kids of "it's ok, you'll do X when you're ready". No pressure to conform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I owned/administered an umbrella school in California for many years. I didn't do group activities except on rare occasions, because I encourage my families to be part of local support groups. IOW, most of them didn't know each other from Adam's cat. :) So I was pleased as punch to see how well the children played together when we did school pictures a couple of times. Children of all ages, boys and girls, in a classroom at a church, waiting for their turns to have their pictures taken and chatting companionable with no self-consciousness. I wish I'd had a hidden camera to record it all, because it was the picture of well-socialized children. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) Today our homeschooling group met for park day. There were maybe 20ish kids there ranging from toddlers up to about 13 years old. The thing that I love most about them? Every week the kids come up with some elaborate pretend game to play and everyone who wants to play is included regardless of age. Today they all played for nearly three full hours and didn't need a thing from us adults. They were totally fine entertaining and organizing themselves. My almost 8 year old boy clearly looks up to the older preteen boys and just adores them. You can tell that they truly don't care that he's so much younger. Age just doesn't matter. I could be wrong, but I would imagine that that kind of play across such a wide age range just isn't a regular occurrence amongst traditionally schooled kids, but within our group it's something that I see happen every single week. I love it! This is the one thing I recognize most, too! The friends of my children who go to PS need *constant* entertainment when they come over, and, frankly, my kids get tired of it. The one in particular is scheduled to the teeth, and 'can't' make anything. My girls tried to teach her how to make cootie catchers, nope, can't. They tried to teach her how to bead and make earrings, nope, can't. They tried to teach her how to make paper stars to hang in her room, nope, can't. The homeschoolers we know? They do the same as what you've experienced-they make up stuff and off they go. The whole pack of them. And the littles get to join in, too, the older ones don't care. It's wonderful. It really is a most amazing difference, and not one I'd have expected to see. Edited September 7, 2012 by justamouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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