One of the biggest things I hear about homeschooling is the lack of socialization. I've noticed that myself. It's hard to get together with other homeschooling families when you don't have access to a car during the day. It's not easy when you're too busy to make the events. For the longest time we had the problem where homeschooling events were simply out of the question. There was just no way we could fit them in. My kids did seem to suffer for it. They didn't have a lot of friends, which didn't effect my older son very much. He's still a bit young to care. However, my daughter did seem to suffer. All she wanted was to have a good set of friends. It seemed she suffocated what few she found, so things got challenging. I was beginning to wonder if school would be best for her, just so she could make some more friends.
Not that long ago I started to look up the local homeschooling group. Last I had checked in with them, all the events took place too far for me to really get to. It would be about a 45 minute trip each way, which is a long way to go with a baby and a toddler in the car. It's also a lot of gas, given the current economy. I had pretty much given up on them for a while, hoping I could hook up with some closer parents, though I'd never had much luck.
With our most recent move, I figured I was set! We were living ten minutes away from where the homeschooling group always met! One of the places they met was within walking distance! This was a perfect arrangement, as it would mean my children could be out and social all the time. I decided to look up the local homeschooling group again and make contact.
Doesn't it always figure that when you think you've figured it out, everything changes? We found out we would be moving again just as I started to try and find the info for the local homeschooling yahoo group. I was all upset because we'd be moving away from all the gatherings again. We wouldn't be as far as they were before, but walking distance would be out of the question, and my trips would be limited by the distance. It wasn't going to be as easy as I wanted.
Well, as luck would have it, this move will be a good thing! Many of the gatherings are actually closer to where I will be moving! I guess the dynamic of the group has changed and I'll be more likely to get involved. They meet for regular kickball days, and have enough kids for an older kids group and a younger kids group, so both my older son and my daughter can be involved! The field trips are much more local to the area I'll be moving to. We're really excited about this whole thing! It looks like it's turning out favorable after all.
Here I was, worrying about my children and socialization when I didn't need to be worried at all! I suppose everything does work out in the end. I now have plenty of opportunities for my kids to get out and get to know other homeschoolers of a variety of ages. They're going to have plenty of chances to make friends! As soon as I was starting to get concerned, the answer seemed to fall right in my lap again. Things may just be looking up after all!
So on the socialization forecast, things are getting better! My kids just might be able to find some peace with their homeschooling at the end of all of this. I won't feel so guilty because of my kids' lack of friends. Better still, their friends won't be restricted to an age group, like they would be in school. There's less of a need for competition. There's less of a need for peer pressure. I'm really getting excited about this! On top of it all, my kids aren't the only ones who will be getting more socialization out of all of this. I'll get a chance to get to know other homeschooling parents, pick up some new tips and tricks, and maybe make some new friends in the whole deal! I'm really looking forward to getting involved with the local homeschoolers!
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