Do Only's Have Trouble Starting School?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 15, 2008 at 11:38am

Thanks Mel for the info.

Can I ask why you chose to HomeSchool your daughter??? She seems to have done so well. Do you find this type of thing easy...and do you have a degree? I find the whole homeschooling movement so interesting. (Not sure I could do it though, lol.)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Love Bug Clothing Co on October 15, 2008 at 2:14pm

My son is only 2 1/2 but is in a school setting already and loves it. he goes twice a week for a full day. He is very social and loves to be around other kids and adults. I think it helps him being around the other kids, sharing, waiting, etc. We try to practice those things at home too even though it is just adults and animals. I think being in music class and a playgroup of his peers is benefical too. I do at time feel like a broken record-"everyone has to get a turn", "it is nice to share", "let's cooperate".

Danielle-I think what you are describing is totally understandable, maybe a team sport or class would be helpful, and I would just become the broken record, "your turn, then mom turn", "you try first, then mom"

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 15, 2008 at 9:15pm

Love Bug Clothing Co said:

My son is only 2 1/2 but is in a school setting already and loves it. he goes twice a week for a full day. He is very social and loves to be around other kids and adults. I think it helps him being around the other kids, sharing, waiting, etc. We try to practice those things at home too even though it is just adults and animals. I think being in music class and a playgroup of his peers is benefical too. I do at time feel like a broken record-"everyone has to get a turn", "it is nice to share", "let's cooperate".

Danielle-I think what you are describing is totally understandable, maybe a team sport or class would be helpful, and I would just become the broken record, "your turn, then mom turn", "you try first, then mom"

Yes, I am thinking about putting him in a team sport once a week as well. I do try to practice at home but I think I may have to just do what you said and be that broken record constantly! :) Thanks.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 15, 2008 at 9:18pm

Mel said:

Danielle said:

Thanks Mel for the info.
Can I ask why you chose to HomeSchool your daughter??? She seems to have done so well. Do you find this type of thing easy...and do you have a degree? I find the whole homeschooling movement so interesting. (Not sure I could do it though, lol.)

There is no quick easy answer as to why I chose to homeschool. In a nutshell it was an extension of our pregnancy, birth, and parenting philosophies I guess. It just never felt right having her go somewhere else for so many hours a day when I'm her parent. I also saw things I wasn't thrilled with even at the pre-K level and I'm no prude. I was aghast at how some of those kids acted, how they treated others, and things they would say, and the cliques and violence...well I could go on really. I just wanted better for her. It's hard to say that without making it seem like I am belittling others' choices but I'm not. I just did what felt right for US and it's been a great fit the last so many years and we hope to continue. There were also some issues with school not being a good fit academically either. My daughter could read, write, and do math by age 4 so the academic part of school bored her to tears. They were doing a letter of the week. LOL So I couldn't blame her. She's always been a very motivated self-learner (which makes my job fairly easy!) and when I would pick her up she'd be so sulky, tired, and kind of sad. I'd ask about her day and she was so mopey or she'd say she was really bored. My perky sunshine girl pretty much disappeared and then when we stopped going to pre-K (I pulled her out before the year was over) she quickly became her sweet, sunshine, bouncy self again.
We keep plenty busy with Girl Scouts, bowling league, piano lessons (some of which are group focused), playdates, and many homeschool group field trips and activities that she is around other kids pretty much 4-6 days per week and sometimes more often. She also attends a one day per week enrichment program for homeschooled children offered by our public school system. There she gets to take gym, drama, art, science lab, medieval history, and computer skills. She has a lot of friends there as well. It's never a dull moment, that is for sure. It is time consuming to get school lessons done and fit in all the other things but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I totally agree with you on ALL of what you said...I think it really is a family decision. What is right for some may not be for others.
Im also slightly worried now about the influence of other children. We recently had an incedent in his school where a 2nd grader was threatening to "kill" another student. OMG. I was terrified. I think that would play a huge part in my decision to home school.
It sounds like you have everything sorted out and your daughter seems very happy and healthy. Nice to hear! Thank you for taking the time to answer. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 15, 2008 at 9:21pm

•Betty• said:

My son did not have problems sharing or listening. He had a hard time breaking out of his shell, when there are many kids around he gets really quiet and timed. That's what our issue has been. He used to throw a tantrum when he was in kinder & 1st grade, because he didn't want to go, and we soon found out it was because he didn't have any friends. He was too quiet and still is, he doesn't know how to approach kids and ask to play. He has got better this year, I get so excited when he gets home and tells me about making a new friend.

Yeah Betty....I think my son may also have some problems making friends...not only because he is an "only", but because we live away from others and we really have no family his age either.
I would be anxious to see how he acts at school. I have plans on volunteering in his classroom once a week, not right in front of him but behind the scenes. (I can still take a peek every now and again.) I hope they work these things out. I know the joy you feel when your son talks about new friends...I feel exactly the same way!!!! We just want em to be happy right?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lori on October 30, 2009 at 6:51am

Hi All

My daughter started her freshman year of high school this year - yes time really goes fast. We lived in a neighborhood with no little kids when she was born, and all her cousins are at least 6 years older than her. So when she went to the park, she would just stare as a little girl. We were worried about her starting school, but she went in to it just fine. She's always been a bit quite by nature, but this didn't stop her from developing close relationships with 6 other girls, whom she's friends with to this day.

The thing I've found fascinating by having an only is she's seemed to pick up on other kids' insecurities, and be more comfortable in her own skin. She knew instantly in middle school which kids were acting out just to get attention, and backed away from them. She really seems older and more mature in a lot of ways because she can talk about things when she comes home. She puts the pieces together very well. We'll see if it always stays that way, but right now she's doing great.

▶ Reply to This

▶ Reply to This