[TexasSuz]

Hi. I am new to homeschooling. My son turns 5 next week and we will start formal homeschooling in September. Most of our friends are homeschooling also. My issue is with feeling isolated now that most of our "play date" friends are busy with homeschooling and we will be also. Do I have to wait until Friday homeschool parkday to talk to another adult besides Dh? I am used to about 2 play dates a week but now I don't even want to call anyone because I know they are busy schooling.

I am lonely...

I have a homeschool family right next door but they never come outside the house except to go to sports practice or music lessons. Sometimes I wish I had another mom to talk to every morning or something. I just get lonely.

Any thoughts, ideas, advice?

Thanks

 

[Cajunmomma]

Suz, I'm not from Texas (but I am from Louisiana), and I know that there are a lot of homeschoolers in Texas. Most of the ones I know are in Houston, but there are others all over. The first thing that I would do would be to look online for some other parents. You can find those who have children the same age as yours and who have the same philosophy as you. That will make it easier for you to make friends who will be available to you at hours that work for you.

And you can still have friends who don't homeschool. They might be more accessible to you during "homeschooling hours"--whatever those are.

It can be isolating to homeschool, but it doesn't have to be. You don't need to stay home, even if most of the homeschoolers that you know are. If you get out to the park and such during the week, you'll be seeing other parents who don't adhere to the "stay home from 7:30 to 3" school.

 

[RiverSky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasSuz Any thoughts, ideas, advice?

Wow, I'm quite surprised about your predicament, since you already know so many homeschoolers. Are any of them in a homeschooling group? Have you joined the homeschool groups in your area? I know in our group, there is a variety of different types of homeschoolers, from unschoolers to full on school-at-home-ers, yet most seem to be available for events after say, 1:30pm on weekdays. What if you just take the initiative, send out an email to every homeschooler you know and suggest a field trip or a playgroup or a sports day next Wednesday at 2:00pm. And see who comes. If you are in any groups, I would post to the entire group and invite everyone. I can't imagine that you won't get any takers and if you make it a regular thing, like every second Wednesday, I'm guessing it will become more and more popular.

Also, one way to get people to go out of their homes is to set up educational outings, field trips, perhaps get Parks & Rec to donate a park ranger for a nature walk program, or get a group rate and special tour at a local sanctuary or conservatory or zoo. Also, call all of the field trip and artistic type places and your local Parks 'n Rec to see if they have any homeschool classes. In our area, most of them do. It's a great time to give the children a chance to take an interesting class (sculpting with clay, painting, drama, science classes at the children's museum, homeschool sports classes with parks 'n rec, homeschool history at the local history museum, etc.) and it gives you a chance to meet even more homeschool moms that you can get to know and invite out for more playgroups. Be sure to exchange numbers whenever you meet one, so that you can call them anytime you set up a playgroup of any kind.

Expand your network, create new events and don't be afraid to invite people...the worst they can do is say "no, not this time", right?

 

[AnnR33]

Ditto to the above about setting up field trips and other educational outings/playdates.
Most of my hs friends try to do "school" in the morning so the afternoons are free for play and fun stuff. We still have at least 1 playdate a week in addition to our Wednesday hs group park day. We also have hs swim lessons starting in Sept 2 afternoons a week so I get to talk to other moms during that and we often try to set up something right after since we're already together.
I bet if you talk to your hs friends they will want to get together more often too.

 

[Linda on the move]

If you are in San Antonio, you can get together with other homeschoolers nearly every day of the week.

A lot of homeschoolers just try to squeeze of bit of academics between plays, symphony, park days, scouts, etc.

 

[LeBoof]

What general area of Texas are you in? I'm in Huntsville, but can recommend some great homeschool groups about an hour or so away too (Brazos valley and Montgomery areas). Most of us talk even when we're not "supposed" to be meeting.We just exchange info. and get together whenever outside of the more formal meetings.

Getting invloved in stuff that's not nec. "homeschool" might be good for you and your kids too. See if there's anything you can all voluteer with as a family. I have done volunteer work at the local state park education center partly because they allowed my then 3 year old son to come with me.He loved it too since he got to watch and sometimes help with all of the critters there. If your kids are older there's even more you might be able to do and the best part is it might even be...educational.LOL!

If you ever feel like chatting feel free to IM me.I'm on Yahoo.Just look for Muttnboofer. Just be sure to tell me you're from MDC

LeBoof

 

[eloquence]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasSuz I am lonely... I have a homeschool family right next door but they never come outside the house except to go to sports practice or music lessons. Sometimes I wish I had another mom to talk to every morning or something. I just get lonely.

I would call my neighobor and share with her what is going on. Ask her if they could come over sometime or you to their house. Does she know you are beginning to homeschool? Does she know you struggle with feeling lonely? I would risk it and tell her and see if community happens between the two of you.

 

[chaos_pie]

I have found that having a planned weekly (Wednesday) playdate with another hs mom has helped me alot, in addition to park time, etc... Maybe you could arrange something similar (a weekly playdate)?

 

[Roar]

Give it until October and by then everyone will hopefully have figured out that in no universe can homeschooling a kindergartener take more than a couple of hours and they will have totally burned themselves out trying to do more.

My belief is that there are a lot of people at home waiting for someone else to make the first move. Invite someone over for a playdate, ask them to meet at the park or the museum, etc. The worst that folks can say is that they are busy and my guess is that most will instead say thanks and be eager to meet up.