Isolated Homeschool/Unschoolers - Page 2

[Hibou]

zmom, it's funny how we come to discover that being a homeschooler, like being a parent, isn't necessarily enough to forge a relationship over. While being in a smaller community has helped me become more open-minded about the different ways to homeschool (and parent, for that matter), we still find that we are swimming against the current with many of our practices, and tend to keep these parts of our lives to ourselves.

On a happy note, it's beginning to freeze here (which I'm not usually happy about but...) we have begun the project of setting up our first backyard skating rink. Should be up and running by the end of the month! I'm really stoked about this, since we are not only isolated in the winter, but as I mentioned we are also without a second vehicle, which is prohibitive when it comes to running the kids into town to go to the community rinks. I'm daydreaming about old-fashioned winter fun days of sledding, skating, bonfires, hot chocolate (*cough* with bailey's), and taffy in the snow. I hope it's enough to lure some of our city friends out.

[canuckgal]

Originally Posted by zmom

There is a large homeschooling community here but we don't really fit in with it - we're unschoolers, liberal, and nonreligious and the vast majority (okay, all of them that I've met so far) are strict curriculum based, very conservative, and religious. We sort of stick out like a sore thumb. We do go to some homeschooling park days and meetings but for the most part we haven't found any other homeschooling families that we really click with. We're about 2 hours away from 2 major cities so we do go to them probably once a month or so but it's not the same as having local friends.

zmom

Sheesh, I thought I was reading about myself here! You have described me and my situation to a "T". The area I live in has had people live here for generations! Like since 1800's sort of thing, and everyone sticks to their own "kind" it seems and unfortunately I have not found people to be outstandingly friendly. It does pang me at times, so much so that I have fantasized at times in a tiny recess of my mind to send my kids to school, as maybe from physically being around more people they would have more friends, but then I snap back to my senses and realize that they would be miserable there, labelled, bored, and most likely because of the culture/mentality here would not have more friends there either. Sigh. Still, we keep going to the local gym time and keep trying ....it is lonely for me, but the kids seem to have fun running around.

A potluck I have driven for 45 min the past 2 yrs, once a month, has folded this year. I do have one ps friend who's kids and ours get along, and 2-3 homeschoolers who we have playdates with maybe 1-2x a month. So far the kids seem to be happy with that, but boy it does feel lonely at times.

Nice to see this thread, I was thinking I was the only one!!

[zmom]

Hibou - Yes, it's true. Homeschooling on it's own isn't enough to form a bond over. For some reason I thought it might be but I find that - even more so than in work or extra curricular activities - politics and religion creep in often. Especially since all of the co-ops and homeschool-oriented things I've discovered so far are religious in nature. I'm so jealous of your outdoor skating rink - that sounds so fun! It doesn't get cold enough here in Texas to do such a thing!

canuckgal - It's funny you say the 1800s thing - my family actually moved to this area in the 1800s but we have such a large student (and thus professor and staff) population that there's a lot of turn-over. Z has actually made a friend in the day-care at the gym but I think she's 4 so I bet she'll go to school next year.

Nice to meet you both!

[kittywitty]

Sounds like where I live. We joke about not having the "membership card" to get notifications about anything. We're not townies so we are totally out of the loop. They don't even advertise almost anything going on-it's all word of mouth, so if you aren't in the clique, you don't know...

[sapientia]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

Sounds like where I live. We joke about not having the "membership card" to get notifications about anything. We're not townies so we are totally out of the loop. They don't even advertise almost anything going on-it's all word of mouth, so if you aren't in the clique, you don't know...

This is like where we live-and my family is one that has been here since before time began, since before fl was a state in some cases. Yet, my immediate family is still out of the loop most of the time. I don't frequent church (though i am a believer-just not in church. seen too many things, man!) Sometimes we go out to eat at the local 'restaurant' and the 'Local intimidation society' occupies the largest table there and I always roll my eyes, they are so rude to us 'outcasts' and 'outsiders' yet I know more about their proverbial skeletons than they'd like to realize, ha!

That said, we are the only homeschoolers here-not in the county, but here in this town and I'm fine with that. I am also a believer that having only homeschooling in common does not always make for friendly times.

[itsrtimedownhere]

us too! we live in a very small, very christian town. there is one hs group an hour away but they are a very strict christian group and we aren't interested.

also, as me to the newbie in a small town group. my husband's family has been here since before AZ was even a state. the gossip is crazy.

[Hibou]

So everyone, please share. What do your days look like?