Hi,

Well this is our first week homeschooling and it's been both scary and wonderful. I have a 12 and an 8 yr old that I would really like to have meet other homeschooled kids. I think my son is starting to miss the group of friends he had at school and i'm starting to wonder if I jumped the gun with him by pulling him out of school. He was actually enjoying himself until one of his school friends mothers decided to tell him how much he was going to miss by not going to school and how aweful (she actually used that exact word!) he would feel not havign any "normal" friends. I was so mad I could hardly contain myself. After that, he started asking when would he would get to meet other kids like him...thats when I started to think that maybe I shouldnt have pulled him out  ugh! My 12 yr old loves it, but also would like to meet other girls her age that like to read and are not too hung up on being "cool" and into all the superficial stuff that girls at that age seem to be. It would be great to attend some activites to get them into a group so they dont feel like their missing anything. We live in RR but i'm willing to travel :) Thanx

Hi Belinda, we would love to have you join us at our park days, they're open to everyone, not just our co-op. We have two each week, one on the east side and one on the west side. Here are directions: http://208.109.241.228/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1141408239/

And congratulations on making the decision to homeschool!

Hi, Belinda.

Congratulations on your big decision!  I'm so sorry your son had to go through such an awful experince.  It's absolutely amazing how little social couth much of the population has.  Bring your kids to the park-they'll meet lots of other homeschooled kiddos.

Hi Belinda,  I was just having a conversation the other day about how I was homeschooled for 6 months when i was in 5th or 6th grade, I can't remember exactly.  I hated it!  I remember saying how I wanted to go back to school because I missed my friends. And I hated being with my parents all day every day.  Now I look at my kids and I see that they love nothing better than being here at home with us as a family and i realize that my parents gave up too soon.  When I was being homeschooled I had no idea how to function in my family at home because I was so used to being out and away.  

The most valuable thing I think I am giving my kids is the ability to be a real part of our family.  Sure, they love their friends in the homeschool community, but if they are first and foremost members of this family and they like that as do I!

Not sure if that helps or not!  Hang in there!  Homeschooling is a wonderul thing and we would love to meet you at park day!  It is our "recess"!  FOr both the kids and me! ;D

The first little while is bumpy but the homeschooling journey is so rewarding.  When you get to the point where you can objectively evaluate other people's opinions as merely that (their opinions), you'll smile to yourself and say, "What did she know anyway?".  Trust your judgment and know that you're doing what you feel is best for your children.  Of course, you're the expert on your family so what do I know anyway....?  :)
Lyndi

Thank you! I do feel better. Today we had our first real homeschool field trip to the Japanese Gardens at the Botanical Garden Center. I think they had fun! shocking lol Halfway through the day my son turned to me and said...im tired, but in a good way. I have fun hanging out with you. I almost cried. I think that was my "sign" that i need to plow on thru. This weekend we're going to the apple farm and then to the Japanese fair on Sunday, which were all ideas i got from this wonderful website :) We will definately be going to the park days next week also. Thank you for the kind supportive words :) -B

Hang in there!  I was so excited when I first started reading your post because I thought the 12yo was the son you were talking about ( I have a 13yo son)  Then I realized that the son was the 8yo.  I think I will be pulling my 7.5you son out of school soon.  The reality is that kids always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  Where ever they are, they only remember the good side of the past.  Find a network of other home schoolers that you can socialize with and he'll feel better.  And stay true your convictions of why you wanted to home school in the first place.  My oldest son that I home schooled all the way till 10th grade, sometimes complained about similar stuff but now that he is 20  he says he is glad he was home schooled.  Kids usually don't know what is best for them.  BTW, there was a girl in the Homecoming Court at Eldorado this year that was home schooled through 6th grade.  It didn't seem to make her "not normal."  And I think all of my kids are pretty normal!!!LOL    ALSO, I have found that field trip always seem to be the spoonful of sugar, so to speak.  KEEP ON PLOWIN"!  :o
Rebecca

Hi Belinda,

I am brand new to this group and new to NM, but I wanted to chime in and tell you I too live in RR and I have a 7yo son. We have HS since K, but since we just moved here from back east, I am also anxious for my son to make new friends. I recently attended the westside park day, and will be there again this week. Maybe we'll see you there:)

Cindy
Grant-7 Logan-4 Kelsey-3

Cindy, I'm not sure if the web site makes it clear, but although you're on the message board, you aren't yet a member of the co-op. All you need to do is fill out the form at the bottom of http://www.abqhomeschool.com/join.html, and then you'll be able to see our full co-op calendar with all our events, as well as participate in the co-op discussions and activity planning. Right now, those parts of our forum are viewable only by co-op members. We'd love to have you join the group as well as coming to park days!

I second Elizabeth's invitation - "membership" is free and there are no obligations and the group is organized flatly w/no meetings, obligations, hierarchies, etc.   :D  It rocks!   Anyone who wants to write can, anyone who wants to participate can, anyone who wants to organize anything can . . . it's like a "D.I.Y. peer group" that opens up a lot of new opportunities like drumming circles, ceramics, bowling . . . togetherness stuff   :D  And usually it's all really inexpensive, etc.   Plus, holiday parties (there's a Halloween one coming up!)   :D   I thik you will really dig it!   It's really helped me, too, as a mom to not feel isolated - like experiencing the best parts of a peer group, filtered by your own intuition.

Belinda,

You and your children should never feel that homeschooling is isolating and you will never have friends  - it is such the opposite of that.  There are so many opportunities for activities and friendships in the Albuquerque homeschool community.  There are numerous clubs, field trips, park days - both formal and informal depending on what groups you meet up with and activities you go on.  

I know there is a large unschooling group in RR that has a yahoo group - I don't know if there is a separate homeschooling group - there must be?!.  But there is a Albuquerque Homeschoolers westside parkday as some other posters have said.

There are so many homeschoolers in RR and Albuquerque and we are as normal as can be   ;D