Homeschooling Moms
My question is, for those of you that had children in ps prior to homeschooling, how did you make the leaving their friends part easier? My oldest dd, 7 is very excited to hs but very very sad about leaving her friends. So much so that I know she's going to cry Thursday. It's a huge possibility that *I* will cry also because I know how it is having to leave friends behind (we moved alot growing up) my pre-K'er will be fine. But how do I make it easier on my 7 yo and myself Thursday?
Replies
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Make sure to have the phone numbers of some of her closest friends so that she knows she can call them. Also arrange for her to visit those friends, and have them over from time to time. She needs to know that good friends can last a lifetime.
Also join a local home school group so that she has field trips, graduation and holiday celebrations, play days and co-op lesson days with home schooled children. Home schooled children (unlike PS children) often love talking about what they are learning. This will help you in her studies. You can find a group you both like by researching your State Home school website.
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Good idea. Thanks. And I have yet to find a group close to me :(
Quoting romacox:
Make sure to have the phone numbers of some of her closest friends so that she knows she can call them. Also arrange for her to visit those friends, and have them over from time to time. She needs to know that good friends can last a lifetime.
Also join a local home school group so that she has field trips, graduation and holiday celebrations, play days and co-op lesson days with home schooled children. Home schooled children (unlike PS children) often love talking about what they are learning. This will help you in her studies. You can find a group you both like by researching your State Home school website.
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I agree with the above. My son is still in contact with his best friend from ps. We meet at the local playground, they see each other in soccer, and they send each other post cards. But he also has a few new homeschooling friends. He really can't talk to his ps friends about his hs stuff. When his ps friends hear about all the great trips we take, I get an earful from the parents. So he needs other friends that also get some of the same experiences. In late spring when the local ps takes a field trip to the farm, then it's okay for him to talk about his field trips, but other than that, he has learned to keep them to himself a bit. They learn to navigate those things quickly.
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If you are unable to find an existing group near you, consider creating one. If you call your State Home School Association (or better yet if you have a regional director within your Home School Association, call them ), they can often give you ideas about how to create a small group of about 5 or 8 families. By letting them know you are interested in doing this, they can have moms near by give you a call.
Quoting CowgirlMama0508:
Good idea. Thanks. And I have yet to find a group close to me :(
Quoting romacox:
Make sure to have the phone numbers of some of her closest friends so that she knows she can call them. Also arrange for her to visit those friends, and have them over from time to time. She needs to know that good friends can last a lifetime.
Also join a local home school group so that she has field trips, graduation and holiday celebrations, play days and co-op lesson days with home schooled children. Home schooled children (unlike PS children) often love talking about what they are learning. This will help you in her studies. You can find a group you both like by researching your State Home school website.
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Bump
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My boys are in t-ball and youth group at church and my daughter is in dance and youth group also :)
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It's hard for them to leave their friends. Like others said, make sure you have phone numbers, and arrange for play dates. Once they meet and make new friends, it gets much easier.
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We honestly didn't have any issues. She has made a TON of new friends. Some in HS group, playgroup, and others at rollerskating. All of her rollerskating friends are PS kids. Just make sure that you stay in contact with the ones that are really important to her. Good luck!!!
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Just because she's not seeing them every day doesn't mean she's "leaving" them. She is still friends with them. Explain to her that being friends doesn't depend on proximity or frequency. What would have happened next year if they didn't end up being assigned to the same class room? Same thing. Besides, she's 7. In most cases, the friends we start out with at that age usually aren't the friends we end up with. She'll be fine and so will you. Try not to project YOUR feelings leftover from your own childhood onto her. She may handle it alot better than you imagine. She's very young, very resilient.
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Honestly didn't think about it that way. Thank you very much :)
Quoting Leissaintexas:
Just because she's not seeing them every day doesn't mean she's "leaving" them. She is still friends with them. Explain to her that being friends doesn't depend on proximity or frequency. What would have happened next year if they didn't end up being assigned to the same class room? Same thing. Besides, she's 7. In most cases, the friends we start out with at that age usually aren't the friends we end up with. She'll be fine and so will you. Try not to project YOUR feelings leftover from your own childhood onto her. She may handle it alot better than you imagine. She's very young, very resilient.