anyone HS an only child?

[LdyBluNH@aol]

my daughter is an only child and is five years old. the local kindergartens are doing their signups for fall now.

we haven't made a lot of connections in the last year or so that i've been out of work so i'm thinking of sending her because she has talked often of wanting to play with other kids etc.

its the one thing i havent been able to provide as yet

i have yet to meet a HS family with only one child

[CAmomto1]

My DD is almost four, and she is and will be an only child. We are friends with another hs'ing family whose DD is an only chlid as well, and likely will be. I met her via a Yahoo hs'ing group for my county.

Of the other hs'ers in my area that I've met, they've all had anywhere from 1-3 kids. Most seem to have at least two kids, but not all of them.

My DD has made friends in her pre-ballet class (she goes once a week on Friday mornings). She also has a friend that she's 'known' since she was about 16 months. I met the mom in a stroller aerobics class when our girls were both small enough to actually stay in a stroller and we, and our girls, have been friends ever since. Both of these classes are from our parks and rec department.

If you are looking for friends for your DD, perhaps you could find one or two organized/regular activities for her to attend? Story time at the library, a dance class, a regular park day and time, etc? If finding friends is the sole reason for choosing to enroll in a school, and otherwise you'd really like to hs your DD, I'd try some other outlets for making connections with at least 1 or 2 new friends during the next 7-8 months.

[lilyka]

Regardless of if you have one or 12 kids it is still imprtant that they get out for a little socializing every now and then. If there is no organize dhomeschool group in your area be creative. My friend will go up to anyone with a school aged child who is out and about during school hours and ask if they are homeschooling and invite them to our newxt event. Check at your library, in your phone book in nationally puhblished books, with groups in the next area (they may know someone.)

my friend is home schooling her only child and another has an older son (11) and a baby and that is as a good as only child really and both of those kids do well. They both participate in clubs and homeschool group activities though.

I have 3 kids and we still have to get out or they would go crazy just playing with each other.

So find somehting to do and homeschooling will go fine. If she is still begging after the first semester/year the reconsider. You aren't going to miss anything in Kindergarten so she doesn't have to worry about falling behind. It is worth a try to find social activities (check with your church and local park ad rec. There si usually tons of free or cheap stuff.) if homeschooling is important to you.

[bestjob]

I am homeschooling only my middle child, who is 5. My 9 yo dd is in Grade 4 at ps and my 3 yo ds is still at home. At times I find it is a struggle to hook up with friends to play with because many of his friends are in a loop with other kids at schools. My ds is not the first person another kid thinks of when his mom says they have time for a playdate because my ds wasn't sitting beside the other kid at school that morning. That means that it is my responsibility to pick up the phone and make dates for him. I rarely wait until a playdate is reciprocated before I invite a child for another one.

Here are some suggestions for organized activities that get your dd out of the house and interacting with other children:

gymnastics, dance, skating, or other lessons

orchestra or choir if offered by her music teacher

team sports like soccer or hockey

Sparks (the Girl Guides of Canada group offered for k'garten aged girls ... Girl Scouts have Daisies, I think)

church school

art classes or language classes

library or bookstore story-time

Another thing to consider is when your dd could do her socializing. Although my dd is in school, she is free every afternoon after 3:35 pm and on the weekend. If your dd has friends in school, you will have to accomodate their schedules, but you can still enjoy their company.

[tricia80]

I am homeschooling dd (5) who is an only... she socializes through gymnastics, library storytime, and through friends we have in our community, and thru visiting our local homeschooling group.....

[sleeping queen]

I homeschooled my first dd and she was an only child til she was 10 1/2. Do not worry about the socializing thing. Enjoy being able to do some of the fun stuff with her. We got to do lots of different type of field trips, we had time to do a lot of hands on learning since she was my only child. There are a lot of positives. I to used to worry about this. If you think about what socializing is it is being able to interact with other people not just people of your own age. What I noticed about my dd is she is enjoys people of all ages and she isn't peer dependent. That is a big positive.

[Dar]

I have an only child who turned 11 yesterday...

It seems to me that while it might take a little longer to find other kids to hang out with, once you find them it's so much easier to get together with other homeschoolers! Rain's schooled friend are so busy, with school and homework and even one activity, that she goes weeks without seeing them. With her hsed friends, though, she can go over and spend a night any night of the week, or a whole afternoon, or whatever.

She does have friends of all different ages, too - the youngest invitee to her birthday party is 7, and the oldest is 15. She's met them at homeschool group events, or through other mutual friends, or through shows she does. Five is that sort of transitional age, where the schoolers and homeschoolers are sorting themselves out, but once you start networking with other homeschoolers it usually carries you through for years...

Dar

[applejuice]

I HS'd my youngest DS;

He has had the advantage of having much older sibs who are adults as role models and being home with DH and I. He was independent enought to do his lessons alone and filgure things out himself and verbalize questions to adults.

We went to 4H and religious school for socialization and DH would take him to the park and museums and libraries.

He had a grand time.