homeschooling and social life - Page 2

[EviesMom]

I don't think it takes so many hours in a week or so many kids in a class to learn these sorts of skills. And I feel that the giant size of public school classes and the schedule of the day here makes it hard for kids to really socialize at school.

My daughter is doing a one day a week class, and I think she gets some of the same skills- these are not all kids she chose to spend time with, and there's a group of them, and she takes direction from the teacher. But, they're also a group of 10, not 25, and they're a span of 3 ages instead of all exactly the same age. She learns from being the youngest and moving up with new kids and some familiar kids, each year until she's the oldest.

I do think this setting *is* different from her one day a week, 90 min. a day physical activity classes, or a playdate, but even this sort of classroom structure is not hard to find in homeschooling if you feel that it's a valuable experience. We do summer camp, which is much the same too, but it's again smaller classes and more time for truly social experiences rather than heavy hitting academic ones.

[raelize]

we have a core group of friends that dd knows and sees often. and she doesn't always get along, but when there are issues, a parent is there to intervene quickly instead of a teacher not noticing adn having a bad situation go on for months.
and we also have very similar situations as other pp. i think that the fact that when something does happen, we can talk about it afterwards, there is a parent to intervene, and it is a small setting, means it is a situation that she can actually learn from. being stuck in a class with kids she doesn't like, a teacher she doesn't like. what does she learn there excedpt to buckle down and that resistance is futile cause there is nothing you can really do to change a situation at school.
i think it is funny when people say that kids will learn how to deal with those situations at school like not liking other kids or bullies etc. cause how can they change anything? what exactly are they learning? except to accept their lot in life.

[NightOwlwithowlet]

DS is an only child, so social interaction was DH's big concern. DH works from home and I WOH 2-3 days a week.
Last week our social interaction was like this

Monday; DS and I went to the library, grocery store, the park and Pet Smart. He spoke to various adults at all the places and played with two 5/6 yo kids at the park. He went to his after school program from 2pm to 530pm. The kids at the program range in age from 5 to 13, he attended his martial arts class there. I picked up him and his best friend and we met another family with two kids for dinner at a local restaurant for kids eat free night.

Tuesday: We met another HS family with 3 kids at the park for lunch and a hike. He went to piano lesson for 45 minutes and played with his friend next door for an hour or so.

Wednesday: I worked, DS hung out at home with the dogs while DH tried to work. DS talked to the plumber, mailman, and our elderly neighbor. From 2-6 pm he went his after school program. Played with his friend next door for an hour or so.

Thursday: DS and I went apple picking with HS friends, then went out to lunch with them and to Borders. We tried out a new home school activity in the evening while DH was at class, decided it wasn't for us.

Friday: We ran errands as a family, DS went to his after school program and went home with his best friend's family. He ate dinner there and I picked him up at 9pm.

Sat and Sun: I worked, DH and DS went to visit my ILs. DS hung out with his 6 cousins (ages baby to 15 years old), aunts, and grandparents. He saw the rest of his extended family at a family party on Sunday.