Everyone's kids are excited to go back to school - Page 2

[dealic]

Originally Posted by audreyhorne

i wholeheartedly disagree. i think for a lot of kids, "aimless playing without structure" is exactly what they need after the relentlessness of school.

I agree. I was thinking more the kids who complain after one week of summer vacation that they are bored. Who want things to do, but whose parents, for whatever reason, don't do things with them or plan things to do over the summer.

[oceanbaby]

Well, as someone who homeschooled for 4 years and has now done our first official back to school, I think there are a lot of factors.

First off, I think most parents really do talk about how excited their kids are when their kids really aren't that excited! Also, some kids are excited about something new happening, but after a week or two are over it and ready to be back home.

However, some kids really do like school, and are excited to go back. I was one of those kids. It's not that I was bored during the summer, but I just liked the routine and the action of school. But, my parents used to let us stay home a lot and had no problem taking us out for vacations, so school wasn't as much of an every day, day in and day out, drudgery kind of experience for me. Even with that though, my sister always hated school, and dreaded going back every year.

I can already see that my older son will probably be the kid excited for school to start, and my younger son will most definitely not.

While we were homeschooling, however, it never bothered my kids. I don't even think they really realized it was happening. But it used to bother me! I used to get the back to school blues, not feeling part of the gang, etc. Now having done back to school, it's really not all that exciting.

So don't worry - depriving your kids of back to school excitement is not a reason to give up homeschooling!

[SparklingGemini]

Honestly, I was NEVER excited about going back to school.

Not only was I not excited but I completely dreaded it to the point that I experienced nausea, sleep disturbances and anxiety.

As a former nanny and someone with loads of younger cousins, I really don't think the kids are that excited. At all.

[earthmama369]

I remember being excited about going back to school because my friends were there. Because school is where I got my "social time," most of my friends were scattered all across the school district, so I didn't get to see many of them during the summer. My parents were working and playdates were limited to the few kids in the neighborhood.

It's pretty much a non-issue for us. Our kids' friends are mostly fellow homeschoolers and neighborhood kids we see all year, so there's a continuity to their friendships that many public school kids don't get unless their parents really make an effort over the summer. There's no feeling of deprivation over the summer.

We still do fun things for the beginning of fall classes, since we take the summer off from signing up for formal activities. We do a Not Back to School beach day, the kids get new supplies in their backpacks, we have a big local homeschooling picnic.

[MrsJewelsRae]

I was always excited about going off to school again in September, it meant new clothes, new kids, new backpacks and all those great school supplies, etc. Most kids look forward to the start of public school, but pretty much all of them are complaining about homework and snobs or bullies within a few weeks! I know when both my parents were working in the summers we didn't do much and so we were happy to go to school and actually something to do each day, but when my mom wasn't working summers we went a lot more places, had a lot more fun, and going back to school was more bittersweet. My kids weren't exactly excited about homeschool starting again, but they do look forward to restocking our supplies with fresh markers, crayons, paints, etc, cracking into some exciting new history or science books, and while they are not jumping for joy about starting up again in general, they don't fight it either. They have so far never been jealous of their friends getting excited about the start of school. I have seen some situations where people treat others unfairly w/ regards to homeschooling. A good friend of mine goes to a big church in which her son is the only one being hs'd. There were several kids going to kindergarten that year and all the adults made a big deal fussing over them about how they were "big kids now", "ooh, look at your new backpack", "are you excited!?" while they completely ignored the very excited little boy who was beginning kindergarten at home. He caught on and his feelings were really hurt and his mom was peeved. Just because we homeschool doesn't mean we don't have milestones too, and a lot of public schooling adults don't realize this and thus, just ignore it.

[rootzdawta]

I really loved school. It suited my personality. After a long summer, I was always thrilled to get back into the routine. I loved having new school supplies, new uniforms, new teachers. It was like a fresh slate to try to do even better than I did the year before.

It was not until I reached adulthood that I realized how much pressure I was under. But at the time I enjoyed it. And even as an adult, I do enjoy a certain amount of pressure.

My son showed a bit of sadness at not starting school. Everyone and I mean everyone is basically boiling over with enthusiasm when he says he's 5: "So you're going to kindergarten?!?" It kind of was making him uncomfortable. And then all his friends are headed back. Even one that we thought was going to homeschool too. The not-back-to-school picnic was a *huge* help and I think it made a big difference in his attitude and I was so happy we went.

I look at my teenage nephews and how much they dread going back to school . . . I kind of wish I could save them. It's hard to watch. I think in the younger years, it's hyped up more (and there's lots of propaganda surrounding how much fun school is) but as they get older, there's more of a "let me do this so I can get out" attitude. And that's kind of depressing.

[heatherdeg]

Originally Posted by earthmama369

I remember being excited about going back to school because my friends were there. Because school is where I got my "social time," most of my friends were scattered all across the school district, so I didn't get to see many of them during the summer. My parents were working and playdates were limited to the few kids in the neighborhood.

Originally Posted by MrsJewelsRae

I was always excited about going off to school again in September, it meant new clothes, new kids, new backpacks and all those great school supplies, etc.

Originally Posted by rootzdawta

I really loved school. It suited my personality. After a long summer, I was always thrilled to get back into the routine. I loved having new school supplies, new uniforms, new teachers. It was like a fresh slate to try to do even better than I did the year before.

It was not until I reached adulthood that I realized how much pressure I was under. But at the time I enjoyed it. And even as an adult, I do enjoy a certain amount of pressure.

to all of that. That was me. Totally. Especially rootzdawta.

Originally Posted by MrsJewelsRae

Most kids look forward to the start of public school, but pretty much all of them are complaining about homework and snobs or bullies within a few weeks!

Originally Posted by earthmama369

It's pretty much a non-issue for us. Our kids' friends are mostly fellow homeschoolers and neighborhood kids we see all year, so there's a continuity to their friendships that many public school kids don't get unless their parents really make an effort over the summer. There's no feeling of deprivation over the summer.

Well, here's the heart of our problem right here. We relocated in late July and I don't have quick and easy access to a ton of homeschoolers for playdates yet. My son is a social addict and even on Saturdays where he's literally spent the ENTIRE DAY with the kids on the block, it ends in screaming meltdowns about how he's barely had a chance to be with his friends. It's never enough.

For mine, he equates school with socializing non-stop for 6 hours/day. And he's academically ahead--which means finishing his work quick and then school devolving into exactly that (like it did for me ). This is a huge part of why we homeschool.

He'll get over his being bummed out just like the public school kids get over the novelty of going back to school. I definitely try to keep us occupied. We've evolved to unschooling so it's not like I can say "well, time to do schoolwork"... although I HAVE tried that. I told him all his friends were doing their schoolwork all day and that he could do his, too (I no longer reference that they're physically at school vs. doing it at home--learned THAT real quick). He opts not to and we move on to something else. But yeah--gotta definitely have stuff to keep him busy (preferably without electronics--which make him very aggressive).

To be honest, sometimes I feel bad that so many parents are SO happy to be rid of their kids. I mean, yeah--I would love a little vacation, too; but I really can't imagine being so ecstatic about my kid going off for the whole year. And then completely dreading the 2 months I get them all to myself. I can't wrap my head around that.

I just thought of something: we've all gotten the "socialization" stuff thrown at us. Just once I'd love to turn the tables and ask some of those "happy" parents--with complete concern bordering on horror (like they exude with the socialization topic)-- "But won't you MISS them?"

[itsnikki]

I don't know... I guess if you make it fun for them, they won't miss a thing. I went to public school and liked it (at least until 8th grade or so) for the most part. But I was always a little "different". I also don't think there's anything wrong with "unstructured play". My daughter plays every day by herself with... whatever she can get her hands on. She plays little games, and is VERY creative. And when I was a kid? I didn't get bored with summer. I loved playing outside with my little brother or alone with my Barbies (Sometimes playing involved my brother AND Barbies!!).. but I'm sure there were plenty of "I'm boooooored" moments. *lol*

[pigpokey]

Originally Posted by karemore

We have back to school excitement!

Many of our activities start up again in september. Gymanstics, sunday school, co-op, library program, mom's group....we're excited to get back into a routine.

We also love having all our favorite places to ourselves again once the school kids go back. We avoid crowds, so there are some places we don't go all summer. DD loves back to school because we can go to Chuck E Cheese and other indoor play areas again, the mall, and the playgrounds that are used by summer camps programs.

ITA. There is some ramp up of activities that were on break, so we do have a back to new and expanded routine situation.

When school goes back, that is when I am willing to take them to the ice rink (ice is not all cut up after ten minutes), and to the indoor pool with the slides. MOSTLY, though, school goes back here in early August. We spend most of August at the river or the beach. So I think the main sentiment around here is what in the world, party like it's summer 'till it's not you misguided souls.

We do academics year round. And gymnastics, and swim team, and music ... there is nothing to be bored about.

[Anglyn]

Last year I felt guilty listing to how excited everyone was about back to school. It's so hyped, kids and parents were excited. I felt bad. Was I depriving my kids? Then a week later, there it was. The cranky kids who didn't want to get out of bed, the weary parents already tired of the struggle, the homework, etc.

You can get kids excited about anything if you act excited about it. But the new wears off.

I wrote this blog about it: http://angeladarland.multiply.com/jo...nd_There_it_is

[4Blessings]

We homeschool. Our neighbor (7th grade) stopped by after school this week. I asked him how his first day back was. His reply, "Horrendous, I HATE school."
So I ask him if my boys should start going to public school too. He says, "Yes, so they can suffer like the rest of us."

I think it really depends on the kid. Some will be super excited to get back and others will not.

My boys are excited to get to sleep in when they hear the bus go by at 7:05 every morning

[phathui5]

They may be excited now, but by I've found that by October, schooled kids want to stay home. Dh giggled when I asked him if kids missed out by not having the "Back to School" experience and said that your kids won't be missing anything by homeschooling.

We're on our sixth year of homeschooling and our kids are excited about some of the new things we're doing and things that are starting back up again: the homeschool PE class at the YMCA, our Monday afternoon get togethers with other homeschoolers, the history book club, etc.

Since we do homeschool year round at our house, we don't really do anything for back to school. This year however, we did something better than going back to school. We took a week long trip to the beach in the Outer Banks, NC. With it being after Labor Day, we were able to rent a beach house for cheap with friends. We spent the days that schooled kids are getting back into the groove of sitting at their desks hanging out at the beach, playing laser tag, going to the bouncy house place, going to the spa (ok, that was me, not the kids) visiting the Wright Brothers memorial and the sand dunes at Jockey State Park and generally staying away from anything schoolish.