Social life debate

**heavensent_7** · 12-08-2002, 05:56 PM

I homeschooled one of my children for a year and a half before he had to return to school, but he has never settled there and is very unhappy although he is desperate to keep up with his friends and says this is the only place he has ever made friends. We don't generally homeschool in the UK or at least it doesn't seem so 'normal' as in the USA and other places. I would really like to take him out of school again however I have 2 problems: I'm not sure I'm capable of educating a child of nine and upwards (he was only 5 before) and how exactly can I meet his social needs?

**heaven** · 12-08-2002, 06:37 PM

you sound very articulate so i can't amagin that being a problem. i have wondered about the social aspects of homeschooling too.. if you do decide to homeschool again, I would suggest having him join groups or clubs, something where he is getting together with children his age so that he can interact with other children. JMO

**heavensent_7** · 12-08-2002, 06:46 PM

This was the ONLY solution that I could think of but two things come to mind: one is he is really quite disruptive, he got expelled from school at five years old!!! because they couldn't handle him!!! He is a lovely child with one to one attention but just can't get his act together left to his own devices so - he has been also thrown out of clubs in the past as he can be SUCH hard work. The other thing is it can really become quite expensive can't it??? and also as a single mother to take him to lots of different clubs would mean dragging all the children out to get him there and pick him up and ALSO (as if that wasn't enough!) Would it be really fair unless I sent them ALL to after school clubs??? And how expensive would that be! Perhaps it also starts a debate on whether I can afford to have kids!!?? But can any of us really? and they are here now so either way it doesn't really count - does it?

**heaven** · 12-08-2002, 06:55 PM

There must be some kind of organization that is either free or inexpensive, if he could find one that he really enjoyed maybe you could find another parent and trade off taking the children. As for all the other children, my mother would say *i have to agree* they are individules and just because one gets to do this doesn't mean they all do. i am sure there are things the other children get that he doesn't. good luck with what ever you decide. I have to agree on the expense of having children but when you have them you do your best with what you have.

**TheCottageRose** · 12-14-2002, 09:33 AM

In our area there are different bulletin boards, like at the Grocery. Sometimes there is HS info advertising a group of HS'ers.

Many of our HS groups report to a larger HS body that will make referals to other groups....

I have learned it takes a lot of time on the phone listening to different ladies talk about what they do and where they find groups for their kids.

This link might get you started talking to a couple other ladies:

http://www.gomilpitas.com/homeschooling/regional/UK.htm

we do Youth group activities at the Church, and he has three other friends that he went to that church's school with, two of them HS and the other may next year.

I've done it both ways and an active child needs to socialize....I hope you find what your looking for and that you son gets whats he needs and will make him happy.

As far as expense, we use an inexpensive program that is notebook based....but your right, after school activies can cost more.