I have a question I am struggling to find a solution for. My 6yr old is a very social outgoing boy. He makes friends where ever he go, the park, the super mart and so on.
2 nights back I went to a friend’s place with my son and the friend was cooking for 20 men, all her husbands friends. My son asked me how many friends were coming and I told 20 for which he got all astonished and said “He has SOOO MANY friends!!!” (CUTE :)) And then it just stuck me… So I asked if that is the reason he want to go to school? (Hes been saying he would love to go to school for sometime now, I thought it was mostl cos everyone he knows goes to school and specially his fav uncle who is 4yrs older than him, who my son takes as his best friend!) And he said yes, he wants to have many friends. He have so few friends now! so I told him I will try my best to come with a solution for that. He offered pen pals but he hates writing and
then asked if he has to write with pencils and then the usual set of his questions started pouring.
So I was wondering if anyone has the same problem and anyone has a solution for this.
My DD(5.5) is also keen on having friends and being homeschooled she is probably in contact with slightly fewer people than she would have been if she had been in school. I have been fortunate to find a homeschool group in my area which has about 5 or 6 children around her age and she considers herself friends with all of them. She also goes to Sunday school at our church where she makes friends with the children in her class. Sporting activities at a club (rather than a school that allows homeschoolers there) will also enable friendships to be made. However, it is not the number of friends so much that is important, but rather that they have a chance to play and form relationships - in boys the playing is probably more important, with girls they need time to talk too. Boys for some reason feel connected when they just kick a ball around - girls often need to discuss the game. Hope you can find him somewhere to make friends.
Check out hslda.org (Home School Legal Defense Association). They have a listing of support groups in every state, many US territories & military installations. We participate with our local group in park days & field trips (such as a fire house, zoo, arboretum & various museums). The group also organizes sports teams, performing arts lessons, book clubs & crafting classes. Once you get connected to a good group, your son will have no trouble finding enough friends.
Locally and state wide, for me, there is a yahoo group and a facebook group. You might try doing a search for "Homeschooling in (name of city and state).
Outside of school my kids have loads of friends.
They come from sports activities that they do. Team sports are great for this but mixed age sports are even better! The kids living in our street. Quite a few from their old playgroup. My friends children. My hubby’s friends children. Cousins and randomly adopted relatives. :biggrin:
I think you just need to make some time and effort to encourage a few close connections and you will be fine.
I am from a small island country and homeschooling is not accepted here. Vaccination is a must. We live with no freedom. My son is the only homeschooled kid I know his age, i know 2 more but they are 6 yrs and 12 yrs older than my son. So finding a support group is not the thing.
Also, he already has many friends, apart from family members from both sides and also a few from Quran classes and also my friends kids mostly his age!
But because he is very social, he wants MORE friends, I believe he takes that from me!
Anyone having homeschooled or not 6-9yrs boys who want penpals?