Other kids?

[kibba]

How in the heck do you find other kids for your child to play with???

I didn't realize it would be so hard, I thought I lived in a busy/big area. I've had issues in the past, but my daughter was younger then so it didn't bother me. Now that she's older I would like to find kids her age, but I find all of the kids her age are in PMO or preschool (my daughters 3)


How in the world do I find other 3 yearolds??? I've tired story time at Barnes and Noble but most of the kids are younger, which I don't mind, but I want some kids her age around her as well.

I thought about signing her up for Gymnastics but I'm just not sure if she we will like it and if I want to spend the $. She's taken ballet and a spanish class, but the spanish class does not happen anymore and the ballet she did not care for.

[elanorh]

Does the local public library do story times? Ours has toddler, pre-K, and mixed days -- the pre-K day would be what your daughter would be at (although there are usually a mixture of kids at each here anyway because it's pretty uncommon for toddlers and Pre-K kids not to have a sibling who's either a toddler or Pre-K).

We have met kids at swim lessons too (our Y does infant/parent swim, then lessons starting once kids are 3). If there is a Y where you are, signing up for a preK art class, or singing group, or something like that, might be a good way to meet kiddos (and visit with parents at the same time, to get a good feel for whether they're someone you're comfortable and would enjoy spending time with while kids play).

If there is a museum near you (children's or otherwise) check on their programs -- our local museum has a children's workshop every Tuesday morning. And our favorite museum, the Museum of the Rockies, has activities for its members daily -- ranging from infant/child sign language classes, to preK workshops, to adult things. If we lived there, every. single. person. working. there. would know who we were, because we'd practically live there!!! This is in Bozeman MT (not a large city) so it's possible you've got something like this near you.

HTH.... You can always go to parks and hope to just bump into someone but that didn't work for me.

[SundayCrepes]

Library story time was a great source of friends for us. We did hook up with a family we met at the park. They were also an unschooling family and the boys had lots of fun together. Unfortunately, they moved. Are there homeschool groups in your area? We've also made friends we met via mdc. Go to the tribal area for your state and see if there's a playgroup there or start one and see if anyone else joins.

[Forsanda]

Here we have a program called Parents as Teachers. It's an hour and a half long and it is in a school like setting, but the parent does all of the activities with the child. There is also homeschool classes at gymnastics, homeschool skate and a knee high naturalist program at the local nature preserve. Maybe check and see if your city has some of these.

HTH.

[Stacey B]

Is there a local AP board? Our area has one and it has been the best thing for me and my ds. He's an only and most of our friends don't have kids. But through the board we've met a lot of like minded parents, joined a homeschool co-op and a playgroup. They do a lot more activities than that but we aren't that social.

I'm not sure if this is in your area.

I'd also look in yahoo groups to see if there is a local group, if there isn't a whole board. (this is what I came up with a search of Georgia and Homeschool

[karemore]

Try meetup.com for a playgroup in your area.

Try B&N when they aren't having storytime. My DD almost always finds someone to play with in the children's area when we go.

Almost all our friends we've met through organized playgroups on meetup, then we started doing our own thing when we clicked with people.

[annettemarie]

Library, Kindermusik, MOPS, Moms Club, church, and our co-op has a preschool group.

[scottishmommy]

Call your local Catholic parishes. I'm not Catholic but I've met a lot of great homeschoolers through a Traditional Catholic church where I sing.

[briansmama]

Have you tried a homeschool park day? Or a class specifically for homeschoolers? Your dd is still so young, I really wouldn't worry about it. Once she's old enough for classes even just through your recreation dept, she'll meet friends. Sports where they have practice and game each week really helped my oldest make good friends, since the sessions lasted for months.

Also want to add that we live in a neighborhood with lots of other dc and honestly, my ds is around them every day and hears all of the things that remind me of ps recess. Plus, they knock on our door all. day. long. It's really distracting! And now my ds sees kids playing on their ds all day and eating fun dips and asks if he can have them too. It's a bummer.

Have you read Hold on to Your Kids:
http://www.amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids...1299712&sr=8-1

It's a great book that talks about how young children really do best without a heavy peer environment.

Unless she seems sad about not having friends yet, I would wait to sign up for classes until she asks. She'll get so much more out of it in another few years (my youngest is 3 and my oldest is almost 7). My oldest has made his close friends within the last 2 years from a homeschool science program and lego robotics program. He also plays with the neighbors, but again, I would happily live in an area with fewer kids.