madteaparty Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 We will homeschool DD age 7 next school year. She’s super close to her school friends, the several kids in our neighborhood that are in same grade, etc. she loves the social experience of school. I want to lay down the infrastructure over the summer so that next year she’s not gazing wistfully at the bus as it goes by. I told her we can get goats (!!) and will join a 4h group but that’s not really daytime. There are co-ops and I’m doing some research on this. Basically I want her scheduled doing fun things most days (even if it is coffee shop and library with mom), somewhere other than home so that she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out. For third grade, the kids go to a different school (two elem schools here) so I’m sure there will be chatter about the shiny new school. I’ve also thought about going away with just her right as school starts (she has been asking to go on a trip with just me and we are doing something this April). And lastly, she has a former nanny in NYC she just loves still, ive thought about incorporating a weekly NYC day trip plus time with this lady and lunch with dad or whatever as part of the schedule. Any other thoughts for me on homeschooling achild that wants to be, at least initially, elsewhere? I’m very confident in my choice, just need to sort logistics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 2 hours ago, HeighHo said: Our elementary is so large that it is rare to be in a class section or recess with friends each year, and with the cliquing its difficult to make new friends in the classroom. Afterschool ecs and family volunteering become the social after grade 2. This is not the case here. She has a tight group of kids that she sees on the bus, they cross the woods to each other's houses, we host monthly dinners with the families, go to plays/theatre/amusement parks together, and this is all on top of the extracurricular circles. I already know I will offer to take these kids off the bus one day a week for an extended and regular playdate. Was looking for more "things we can do only bc we homeschool and no you cannot go on that bus today because look at the calendar, we have Pottery!" etc. She hates even the idea/term homeschooling...I've started saying "When you are home more next year we can..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 You've homeschooled her previously? I forget your story. Basically, many kids around that age start to figure out that school would get in the way of what they really want to do. For my dd it was reading (and later, sewing), so she saw school as less time to read. That will probably be for her to figure out. I hope your change goes well. Will you be able to connect with a homeschool community to make new friends there as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 42 minutes ago, PeterPan said: You've homeschooled her previously? I forget your story. Basically, many kids around that age start to figure out that school would get in the way of what they really want to do. For my dd it was reading (and later, sewing), so she saw school as less time to read. That will probably be for her to figure out. I hope your change goes well. Will you be able to connect with a homeschool community to make new friends there as well? No, I’ve homeschooled my older son but she’s always been in school. i do read here often about these kids with strong interests but mine are not like that. Not in 3rd grade anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 My strongwilled one wanted to go to preschool and daycare when she was 3,4,and 5 years old. She saw kids going to school on TV. She saw giant playgrounds at daycares and schools. She was sure she was missing out on something. Then as she hit 4 years old, all of her former friends from playgroups began going off to preK (it is free here in the public schools.) So it was rough. We didn't do a lot formal for preschool besides library storytimes and playdates and arts and crafts and playgrounds and field trips. But we started our official "homeschool" for K. For us, for her, it needed to be very formal. So we had "recess" time. We had pretend cafeteria. She had to have a new backpack and lunchbox even if all we did was take them to the zoo with us for the day and call it a school field trip. She still often asked when she was going to go to "real" school. The things that helped the most were finding other homeschool kids and activities for her so it began to seem "normal" to her. We joined every homeschool group I could find until we settled into ones that we really fit in with. We did a homeschool field trip only group. We did a homeschool girl scout troop. Eventually after a couple of years we found a co-op, and that was exactly what she needed. She wanted that "school" feel, and it gave her that. So I have made sure to keep my kids active in homeschool groups over the years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 Good luck to you. No words of advice. I'm struggling with my cute ds#2 this year as he's at that obstinate age where he doesn't want to do what he's told. (But, I lived through his four older siblings. I can't remember how, but . . . ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Going to an outside activity most days would drain me completely. From your post it sounds like you're doing everything you can to assuage your DD's concerns, which is good. A weekly playdate with school friends is a fantastic idea. As is finding some kind of new group of hs'ing friends to be involved with. But I'm not sure that bending over backwards to make every day "fun" initially isn't going to backfire. I mean, at some point she's going to have to stay home and do school, you know? That transition is going to have to happen sometime, might as well get it over with. My older kids came home from ps in 8th, 6th, and 4th grade, so they had each other, which I realize is a different situation from yours. But I don't think I'd let my 7 year old's attitude dictate my schedule. Just my 2 cents. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 By accident, we ended up doing a trip right as school started the first year we homeschooled, and continued that for several years. It definitely helped to be away from the start of school excitement-after the “new” had worn off, it was easier for DD not to feel she was missing anything. After a few years, it went from DD feeling jealous of the kids starting school to them feeling jealous that she didn’t have to go-but at 3rd grade, there was still definitely a feeling of “missing something” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 What is available for homeschool kids in your area? I would try to find a coop where she can take history and science twice a week with a group of kids, so it mimics a school but takes limited time. I say history and science because those are nonessentials for that age and it will let you focus on what matters - English and math at home. Plus she can play soccer after school for more interaction. If you schedule activities daily, especially in the morning, you will end up with very little time for what you want to actually accomplish with her at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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