Quote:
| It sounds like socialization is the problem, so I'd suggest finding a solution to the problem. |
First of all, just a niggling nitpick --
socialization is not his issue,
socializing is. They're different things.
Second of all, I would suggest reading "Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers". Sometimes, kids craving that much social time with peer-aged kids is actually a negative thing, a peer-oriented attachment rather than adult-oriented (which is the healthy norm). So the idea that he's going through "withdrawal" is worth considering. It's possible that he's craving more socializing than is actually healthy for him (like gluten-sensitive people sometimes have inordinate cravings for carbs).
But it's also possible that it's just simply a matter of the 4-hours-at-the-store problem. You say you split the shifts with your partner who is another homeschooling mom. Could SHE take your son while you take a shift? What does she do with her kids when she's working? Maybe they're older and able to help out more, or maybe she has someone watching them who could also help you out... or maybe you could take her kids when she works her shift.
For the record, I believe that homeschooling can be right for every child -- but sometimes the folks involved don't hit upon the "right way" to homeschool that particular kid so the public schools end up being the lesser of two evils. But I would still maintain that for every child, homeschooling CAN work as well as or better than the public school.
As a PP said, homeschooling is not right for every FAMILY, and if a parent is not willing to do things differently when they weren't working another way, and in many various other circumstances often beyond a parent's control, then yes hs'ing may not be the best option.
But I don't think that's even what's at issue here. "Is homeschooling ever the wrong choice in general" is an interesting discussion, but it's not what's relevant to the OP. What we really are talking about is "is homeschooling the right option for THIS child" -- or to put it another way - "would public school be better for THIS child".
And I think, we really don't have enough information here to be able to say "oh yes, send that kid to school." In fact, I think the weight of the evidence is on the other side. He has said that he does NOT miss the academic part of school, only the being-around-other-kids part. It's already been said in this thread... that's not what school is about. Maybe in grade 1, he's had lots of play time and horsing around time and chatting time with other kids. But it's not always going to be like that.
Is the drudgery of the rest of the school day a fair trade-off for the fun of recess? Or is it possible to meet his socializing needs in other ways? Or does he just have to learn that the amount of socializing he wants isn't reasonable and he needs to learn to be content with his own self? Historically, young children got FAR less peer socializing than they do in our modern culture and they did just fine (many would say that they did far better, in fact). I can't say which of these is the right question for him, I'm just offering the suggestions to think about.
Anyway, I would guess that the primary thing to work on right now is what to do with him while you're at the store. Then go from there...
So we decided together that she would take another crack at kindergarten this year to see how she likes it. A huge part of parenting for me is staying flexible and making adjustments for her needs despite my personal beliefs about certain issues. I know not everyone feels this way and there are hills I'm willing to die on when it comes to some things with my daughter, but school isn't one of them.
